Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen talks outside her home in Alexandria, Va., on Thursday, April 8, 2019. Nielsen says she continues to support the president’s goal of securing the border in her first public remarks since her surprise resignation. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
April 08, 2019 - 9:11 PM
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump and White House allies pressing for a harder line on immigration are speeding up their campaign to clean house at the Department of Homeland Security with a mission far wider than just the departure of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.
According to three people familiar with the matter, Trump is also considering separating migrant families at the border again, resuming the practice that drew so much outrage last year. The three say Trump adviser Stephen Miller is behind the plan.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The shake-up is a result of Trump's frustration with the increasing migrant number and his diminishing options for action. Court challenges, immigration laws and his own advisers have blocked several of his proposals.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019