President-Elect Donald Trump’s “Border Czar,” Tom Homan, Suggests Family Detention Centers Could Return
President-elect Donald Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan announced that the use of family detention centers for migrants is “on the table,” potentially reviving a practice ended by the Biden administration. Homan, the former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said that the practice is being considered to end “catch-and-release” policies, which allow migrants to be released from detention while awaiting immigration court proceedings.
Homan believes that detaining family units is necessary to address the issue, but has no plans to separate migrant children from their parents on a large scale. He remains open to challenging the Flores Settlement Agreement, which limits the time migrant children can be held in detention to 20 days.
The number of detention facilities would depend on the data, with Homan stating that “we’re not going to build 25 facilities” but instead aim to create “open-air campuses” designed for families. He also suggested that parents who lose their immigration cases would have to choose between taking their children with them or leaving them in the United States with a relative if they are U.S. citizens.
Critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have expressed concerns that the plan is unconstitutional and would harm families. Lee Gelernt, an ACLU lawyer, stated that the organization is prepared to challenge any aspects of the plan they see as unconstitutional, citing the importance of protecting children from being detained for extended periods of time.