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Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo\/Axios. Photos: Jeff Swensen, Brandon Bell via Getty Images<\/p>\n
The Biden administration is considering once again detaining families that illegally cross into the U.S. \u2014 potentially adding to a cascade of new border restrictions typically favored by Republicans.<\/p>\n
Why it matters: <\/strong>News that President Biden could reinstate the controversial policy triggered a flood of condemnation from Democrats and immigration activists, with many blasting it as "inhumane" and an ugly relic of the Trump era.<\/p>\n Driving the news: <\/strong>The possibility of restarting family detention, after Biden halted the policy in 2021, has been discussed in recent high-level meetings, sources familiar with the conversations told Axios.<\/p>\n The other side: <\/strong>These policies have been combined with new legal options for migrants hoping to come to the U.S. \u2014 including through humanitarian parole, which provides legal status and work authorization for up to two years.<\/p>\n Between the lines: <\/strong>The sweeping changes largely stem from the expected end of Title 42 \u2014 a policy that for three years has cited COVID-19 concerns to allow the U.S. to rapidly expel migrants and asylum seekers at the border more than 2.6 million times.<\/p>\n What they're saying: <\/strong>The idea has already raised concerns among Democratic lawmakers, humanitarian organizations and some U.S. immigration officials who are skeptical about the effectiveness of policies intended to punish and deter illegal border crossings.<\/p>\n The big picture: <\/strong>In the middle of this shift on immigration, several of the administration's top immigration policy officials have departed, as Politico has reported.<\/p>\n Zoom in: <\/strong>Family detention has long been a complicated and contentious issue, especially following court rulings under the Obama administration that require families to be released from detention within 21 days.<\/p>\n\n
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