Donald j. Trump
Donald Trump served as president of the United States of America from January 20, 2017- January 20, 2021 . During his presidency, Trump advocated for and implemented policies on a wide range of immigration issues, including asylum, deportation, refugee resettlement, and admissions from certain Muslim-majority countries. These MPI research and data resources contextualize policy changes and the people who are affected by them.
Zero Tolerance Policy
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In April 2018, the Trump administration declared a "zero tolerance" policy toward undocumented immigrants. Under this program, any migrant, including asylum seekers, who attempted to cross the US border somewhere other than an official port of entry was detained and legally prosecuted. If newly arrived adult migrants entered the United States without authorization, this technique required separating newly arrived adult migrants from children who had accompanied them (and outside of official ports of entry).
Thousands of children were separated from their parents, prompting the administration to halt family separation and instead seek to imprison migrant families together — a policy that has been challenged in court and has yet to be implemented. The Trump administration's current objectives in this area are unclear, but criminal prosecution and incarceration remain important components of the administration's deterrence strategy. There are clear signs that the administration is still considering family detention, which could apply to families seeking asylum at border crossings. The administration, on the other hand, has stated that parents of children under the age of five who are apprehended will be tracked using ankle monitoring bands. |
Build The Wall Campaign
"We're going to build a wall," US President Donald Trump has said numerous times since launching his presidential campaign. The president desired a physical barrier along the border between Mexico and the United States to prevent illegal crossings. The border wall had proven to be a contentious issue, with many people divided on whether or not it was a good idea. Some of the existing border barriers have been replaced since Mr. Trump took office, but by March 2019, work to extend what was already in place had only just begun.
The Trump administration installed more than 450 miles of fencing along the US-Mexico border, including hundreds of miles of replacement fencing and 52 miles of new construction where there were previously no barriers. The wall became a political rallying point as well as a symbol of the administration's contentious immigration crackdowns during his presidency. |
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