Donald Trump

Family Separation at the U.S.-Mexico Border, Explained

Family separation ended with President Donald Trump's executive order Wednesday, but not all families separated before the order have been reunited.

The “zero tolerance” policy separated 2,235 families at the U.S.-Mexico border from April 19 to June 9.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday stopping such family separations. Zero-tolerance prosecution is still in effect for migrants crossing illegally.

Advocates still warn against long-term detainment caused by immigration court backlogs.

About 500 children separated from their families have been reunited, but some of these families may still be detained.

Data: DHS, HHS
Interactive: Peter Andringa, Sabrina Cheung/NBC; Reporting: Noreen O'Donnell/NBC

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