President Trump’s June 20 executive order replaces family separation with incarcerating families, potentially indefinitely. The executive order requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to incarcerate children with their families together during the pendency of any criminal improper entry or immigration proceedings involving a family member.
Given the escalating costs of immigration detention – and family detention in particular – as well as the harm experienced by children held in detention, effective and affordable alternatives to detention (ATDs) are a better option. As illustrated in the infographic below, ATDs are a fraction of the cost of detention while continuing to ensure that upwards of 95 percent of individuals on ATDs attend required immigration hearings and appointments.
