We recently added many new records to our extensive timeline of the Trump administration’s deliberately cruel family-separation policy.
For #FOIAFriday, we’re drawing attention to the role of former Dept. of Homeland Security Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen.
americanoversight.org/a-timeline-of-…
While Nielsen previously tried to distance herself from the family-separation policy, documents we uncovered through FOIA show her involvement.
On March 3, 2017, Reuters reported that the administration was considering a family-separation proposal. An unidentified person emailed the story to the DHS budget director: “I would be truly grateful if you could tell me this isn’t being seriously considered.”
On March 5, an Appropriations Committee staffer emailed then-CBP Commissioner McAleenan that the committee wanted to be informed before the policy is adopted. McAleenan forwarded the exchange to then-DHS Chief of Staff Nielsen, who asked, “[W]hat is inside story?”
On Dec. 6, 2017, Nielsen was sworn in as DHS secretary. On Dec 11, the ICE chief of staff reported that ICE was asked to take the lead on drafting decision memos for Nielsen on family separation.
On December 27, 2017, then-Chief of Staff Chad Wolf gave Nielsen a list of topics to discuss on a plane ride with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, including “Border Surge Policy Options – Separate Families.”
In March 2018, Wolf emailed Nielsen: “Ma’am, FYSA – we’re receiving a number of press inquiries regarding an asylum seeking Congolese woman and her child who have been separated." Nielsen replied that this was "one of the stories I asked about last week."
In April 2018, ICE General Counsel John Mitnick emailed Nielsen, Wolf, and others informing them that the HHS-DHS memorandum of agreement was signed. The MOA was about the Unaccompanied Alien Children program.
In May 2018, the Trump administration officially implemented the “zero tolerance” family-separation policy. Then-AG Sessions said, “If you are smuggling a child, then we will prosecute you. And that child may be separated from you as required by law.”
cnbc.com/2018/05/07/tou…
Later that month, Nielsen issued a memo directing “all DHS law enforcement officers at the border to refer all illegal border crossers to DOJ for criminal prosecution to the extent practicable.”
In June, CNN reported that DHS had separated 2,000 children from their parents at the southern border. That same month, Nielsen claimed on Twitter: “We do not have a policy of separating families at the border. Period.”
In August 2018, Nielsen forwarded an exchange with Kelly, Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein & others to top DHS officials. She appears to ask for their thoughts on “what is recommendation on how to mitigate.”
In a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee in December 2018, Secretary Nielsen claimed that the administration had no family-separation policy.
Documents we have obtained provide evidence of a pattern of miscommunication and disorganization within DHS at the same time officials were issuing misleading public statements about the administration’s policies. Explore our full investigation here:
americanoversight.org/investigation/…
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