Trump ends family separation by executive order after six weeks of public outcry

President Trump signed an executive order directing DHS to keep families together during immigration detention after six weeks of public outcry over family separation under the Zero Tolerance policy. The order did not end criminal prosecution of adults crossing the border; it directed agencies to detain families together in DHS facilities instead. Federal courts subsequently ruled that family detention of children for extended periods violated prior consent decrees, creating ongoing legal conflict between the administration enforcement goals and child welfare law.