Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

3 hours ago

US House Republicans Head Toward Final Vote on Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut Bill

4 hours ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

4 hours ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

4 hours ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

4 hours ago

Trump Vowed to Dismantle MS-13. His Deal With Bukele Threatens That Effort.

1 day ago

Ukraine Voices Concern as US Halts Some Missile Shipments

1 day ago

What’s Next for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs After His Sex Trafficking Trial?

1 day ago
Don't Kid Yourselves, Dems. Obama Struggled With Family Immigration.
Bill McEwen updated website photo 2024
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 7 years ago on
June 22, 2018

Share

SANTA ANA, Calif. — The Trump administration isn’t the first to grapple with the question of how to handle tens of thousands of immigrant families stopped along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Four years ago, Barack Obama faced a similar crisis when record numbers of Central American immigrants fleeing violence began showing up at the border. Officials had to deal with the same court case the current administration began fighting Thursday, a day after President Donald Trump issued a new executive order to stop separating migrant families whose parents were arrested for illegally entering the country.

Obama Detained Mothers and Children

More than 60,000 family “units” — which the U.S. government defines as a parent and child — were stopped along the border in the 2014 fiscal year, a fourfold increase from a year earlier. In the last fiscal year, that number exceeded 70,000.
Initially, the Obama administration released mothers and children with notices to appear in immigration courts in the cities where they were headed. At times, immigrants were transported from Texas to Border Patrol facilities in other states so agents could keep up with ballooning arrivals.
The Obama administration then moved to hold mothers with children in family detention facilities — a 100-bed center in Pennsylvania and two larger facilities that opened in Texas in 2014. Those spaces provided a few thousand beds.

Immigrant Advocates Opposed Obama

Immigrant advocates opposed the move, arguing that minors couldn’t be kept for long periods in these facilities because of a 1997 settlement agreement governing the treatment of immigrant children. A federal judge in Los Angeles agreed and ruled that the children could not be kept in detention.
At the same time, the Obama administration faced criticism when photos of children in cages at a Nogales, Arizona, facility became front-page news — reminiscent of what happened last week when similar images came out of Texas.

Republicans Blamed Obama for Border Crisis

Republican critics blamed the crisis on Obama immigration policy and the administration launched public relations campaigns in Central America to warn people to not make the journey. The crisis became a big campaign issue in midterm races in border states like Arizona.

“It is less about whether there is space to put people. They can find space to put people. The real issue is legal.” — Seth Stodder, former Obama administration official
After the federal ruling, the government started releasing many families more quickly since short detention stints would neither deter immigrants from coming nor give immigration courts enough time to evaluate asylum claims, said Seth Stodder, a former assistant secretary of homeland security for border, immigration and trade policy in the Obama administration.
The U.S. government could erect more detention facilities, Stodder said, but resolving asylum claims quickly isn’t so easy since immigration courts are backlogged with hundreds of thousands of cases and immigrants often need time to obtain evidence from their countries.
“It is less about whether there is space to put people. They can find space to put people. The real issue is legal,” he said, adding that ankle bracelets or monitoring programs might help ensure immigrants show up for court without the need for continued detention.
The Trump administration has sought to deter immigration through a “zero-tolerance” policy announced in April that mandated the criminal prosecution of all immigrants caught at the border. Authorities began jailing the parents and sending their children to government-contracted shelters, sparking an outcry from immigrant advocates and many lawmakers.

Trump Orders Families Kept Together

After separating more than 2,300 children from their parents, the administration shifted course this week and said families would be detained together. Officials filed a request to change the rules governing the detention of children under the court settlement — a move that advocates for the children said they would oppose.
Another challenge the administration faces stems from claims by many of these immigrants that they are fleeing violence and persecution in their countries. After initial screenings, they may proceed in many cases to seek asylum.
A recent decision by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to narrow the scope of asylum cases based on gang or domestic violence might result in cases moving quickly. But Stodder said doing so could also lead to more appeals and possibly more challenges of immigration rulings in the federal courts.
“Due process will be had,” he said. “The question is whether it is in the immigration courts or whether it is in the circuit courts.”

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Trump Administration Will Focus on Fed Chair Replacement in Fall, Bessent Says

DON'T MISS

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

DON'T MISS

US Paves Way to Resume Ethane Exports to China Amid Trade Truce

DON'T MISS

US Supreme Court Won’t Consider Reviving Montana Abortion Parental Consent Law

DON'T MISS

US Imposes New Sanctions Targeting Iran Oil Trade, Hezbollah, Treasury Dept Says

DON'T MISS

Keep Pets Safe on 4th of July: Fresno County Animal Shelter Offers Tips

DON'T MISS

US House Republicans Head Toward Final Vote on Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut Bill

DON'T MISS

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

DON'T MISS

Supreme Court’s Conservatives Leaned Into US Culture Wars With Transgender Cases

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 35,000 Acres, More Evacuations Ordered

UP NEXT

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

UP NEXT

US Paves Way to Resume Ethane Exports to China Amid Trade Truce

UP NEXT

US Supreme Court Won’t Consider Reviving Montana Abortion Parental Consent Law

UP NEXT

US Imposes New Sanctions Targeting Iran Oil Trade, Hezbollah, Treasury Dept Says

UP NEXT

Keep Pets Safe on 4th of July: Fresno County Animal Shelter Offers Tips

UP NEXT

US House Republicans Head Toward Final Vote on Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut Bill

UP NEXT

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

UP NEXT

Supreme Court’s Conservatives Leaned Into US Culture Wars With Transgender Cases

UP NEXT

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 35,000 Acres, More Evacuations Ordered

UP NEXT

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

After Record Democratic Speech, House Republicans Begin Final Vote on Trump Tax-Cut Bill

27 minutes ago

Stocks Hit Record, US Dollar Strengthens After Jobs Data

30 minutes ago

Jeffries Sets Record for Floor Speech Before Vote on Trump Tax Bill

45 minutes ago

Could Cuddly Colby Be the Darling Gem for You?

1 hour ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Sandra Neredia Jaquez

1 hour ago

Trump Impounds Billions in Education Funding. For Fresno Unified, It’s $7.1 Million

2 hours ago

Trump Administration Will Focus on Fed Chair Replacement in Fall, Bessent Says

2 hours ago

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

3 hours ago

US Paves Way to Resume Ethane Exports to China Amid Trade Truce

3 hours ago

US Supreme Court Won’t Consider Reviving Montana Abortion Parental Consent Law

3 hours ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

President Donald Trump’s tax-cut package cleared its final hurdle in the U.S. Congress on Thursday, as the Republican-controlled House...

6 minutes ago

President Donald Trump delivers an address to the nation at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. June 21, 2025, following U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Pool
6 minutes ago

Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut and Spending Bill Wins Congressional Approval

21 minutes ago

Presidential Election Reveals Big Shift in California Voting Patterns. Will It Last?

Palestinians displaced by the Israeli military offensive, shelter in tents, in Gaza City, May 20, 2025. (Reuters File)
22 minutes ago

US-Backed 60-Day Gaza Ceasefire Envisages Gradual Return of Hostages, Official Says

FILE PHOTO: A view shows the dome of the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo
27 minutes ago

After Record Democratic Speech, House Republicans Begin Final Vote on Trump Tax-Cut Bill

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., June 26, 2025. (Reuters File)
30 minutes ago

Stocks Hit Record, US Dollar Strengthens After Jobs Data

U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) delivers a marathon speech in opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump's massive tax-cut and spending bill, ahead of a vote on final passage of the legislation in the House of Representatives inside the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol, in this still image from video in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 3, 2025. U.S. House TV/Handout via Reuters
45 minutes ago

Jeffries Sets Record for Floor Speech Before Vote on Trump Tax Bill

Colby, a classic tabby, is GV Wire's Adoptable Pet of the Week, July 3, 2025
1 hour ago

Could Cuddly Colby Be the Darling Gem for You?

Sandra Neredia Jaquez is Valley Crime Stoppers' Most Wanted Person of the Day for July 3, 2025. (Valley Crimes Stoppers)
1 hour ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Sandra Neredia Jaquez

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend