page_title: Protests against the Trump administration family separation policy
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: Protests against the Trump administration family separation policy / Background
caption_attribution_description: English: Stop Separating Immigrant Families Press Conference and Rally Chicago Illinois on June 5, 2018.
context_page_description: Protests against the Trump administration family separation policy are a reaction to the Trump administration policy of separating children from their parents or guardians who crossed the U.S. border either illegally or to request asylum, jailing the adults and locating the minors at separate facilities under the care of the Department of Health and Human Services.
context_section_description: The Trump Administration started a "zero tolerance" policy on May 7, 2018 under which any person crossing the United States border may be charged with a federal misdemeanor. Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, announced that policy. During remarks made on May 7 in Scottsdale, Arizona, he said, "If you are smuggling a child then we will prosecute you, and that child will be separated from you as required by law." However, immigration rights activists have reported that children accompanying adults have been verified to be members of families, not part of a child trafficking scheme as suggested by Sessions.  
  Because minors cannot be jailed under a 2016 ruling by C.D. Cal. Judge Dolly M. Gee regarding the 1997 Reno v. Flores settlement, they are separated from their families. Minors are housed in detention centers that can be made up of tents or other makeshift facilities. Illegal border crossing is a crime in the United States. However, migrants attempting to apply for asylum in the United States are also being denied entry. In addition, immigration activists allege that parents are not being reunited with their children after their parents' sentences in detention are finished. Sessions also announced that the United States would no longer accept asylum applications for migrants who are victims of domestic abuse or gang violence.
caption: Stop Separating Immigrant Families Press Conference and Rally, Chicago. (June 5, 2018)
exif: {"Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon EOS 30D", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "240", "Image YResolution": "240", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS4 Windows", "Image DateTime": "2018:06:06 18:40:30", "Image Artist": "unknown", "Image Copyright": "cemillerphotography.com", "Image ExifOffset": "264", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "766", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "8666", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/320", "EXIF FNumber": "5", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Aperture Priority", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "320", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2018:06:05 14:13:18", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2018:06:05 14:13:18", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "1040241/125000", "EXIF ApertureValue": "290241/62500", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "-1/3", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "29/8", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Average", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "35", "EXIF ColorSpace": "Uncalibrated", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "3504", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2336", "EXIF FocalPlaneXResolution": "233600/59", "EXIF FocalPlaneYResolution": "233600/59", "EXIF FocalPlaneResolutionUnit": "2", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard"}