Q&A: Border protection commissioner talks 'zero tolerance,' family separations and how to discourage immigration
National immigration policy has shifted significantly in recent weeks, as the Trump administration implemented a controversial "zero tolerance" policy of criminally charging and detaining more migrants who cross the border illegally, separating parents from children.
So many migrants are being detained, the federal government announced plans to house children at military bases and adults at federal prisons, the largest in Victorville, Calif. At the same time, the number of migrants caught crossing the southern border has remained steady for the last three months.
The Los Angeles Times sat down to discuss the news with U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan during his visit to agents in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, the epicenter of migration in recent years.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: Why did you come to Rio Grande Valley this month and last, and what have you learned from your visits?
A: It's our busiest sector borderwide for illegal crossings between ports of entry for the Border Patrol. It's the sector with the highest amount of narcotics being smuggled between ports of entry. And it's one of our most critical locations from Laredo to
