Customs And Border Agency Halts Many ‘Zero Tolerance’ Detentions, Citing Workload

President Trump’s zero-tolerance policy left the CBP struggling to process the number of people it detained — and the agency says it has temporarily halted arrests of adults with children. Here, a mother migrating from Honduras holds her 1-year-old child as she surrenders to border agents on Monday. The two had illegally crossed the border … Continued

David J. Phillip / AP

Updated at 1:42 p.m. ET

Despite pressure from President Trump for the U.S. to arrest and prosecute anyone caught crossing the border illegally, U.S. Customs and Border Protection says its agents will temporarily suspend the practice of detaining adults who arrive with children — something that had been a tenet of Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy.

CBP agents will no longer refer migrant parents and children for prosecution when they’re caught at the U.S. southern border, Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said, telling reporters that the system — which was widely criticized for separating families, until Trump eased his policy somewhat last week — hasn’t worked out.