“Zero Tolerance” Immigration Enforcement
Administration Policy on Border Crossing
In recent years, Central American migrant families have been arriving at the U.S.–Mexico border in relatively large numbers, many seeking asylum. While some request asylum at U.S. ports of entry, others do so after attempting to enter the United States illegally between U.S. ports of entry. On May 7, 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) implemented a “zero tolerance” policy toward illegal border crossing, both to discourage illegal migration into the United States and to reduce the burden of processing asylum claims that Administration officials contend are often fraudulent. Under the zero tolerance policy,…
