Immigration Reforms Under Trump 2017: Homeland Security Chief John Kelly Confirms Plans Of Separating Undocumented Children From Parents At Border

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly confirmed Monday that the Department of Homeland Security is considering to separate children from their parents who arrive at the U.S.- Mexican border illegally or without proper authorization.

The department's plan was earlier reported by Reuters on Saturday. However, Kelly confirmed at an interview with CNN on "The Situation Room" Monday that he will take action on the plan. He added that he expects the measure will help the United States to restrict Central Americans from "getting on this very, very dangerous network that brings them up through Mexico into the United States."

"We have tremendous experience of dealing with unaccompanied minors," he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room." "We turn them over to (Health and Human Services) and they do a very, very good job of putting them in foster care or linking them up with parents or family members in the United States."

"Yes I'm considering (that), in order to deter more movement along this terribly dangerous network. I am considering exactly that. They will be well cared for as we deal with their parents. ... It's more important to me, Wolf, to try to keep people off of this awful network," he added.

The department's new proposal would allow the immigration officials to split children from their adult counterparts with whom they traveled with. The children could be moved to a more protected place, which would possibly include staying with family members who already reside in the country or be put under custody with child protective services. The adults would await deportation orders under detention, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The former President Barack Obama's administration had also put across an argument that Kelly made during the interview. He said that it was necessary to take stricter steps to restrict women and children specifically from taking on this dangerous journey because they face an uncertain future and he noted that numerous women and children are raped on their way. The people in Central America do not have many legal options in order to overcome their fear of violence or death to flee. With Kelly's announcement, President Donald Trump's administration limited their options further, according to the Huffington Post.

Leon Fresco, a former DOJ official in President Barack Obama's administration, said the previous administration considered, but ultimately rejected, the move.

"It was never implemented because the idea was that it was too detrimental to the safety of the children to separate them from their parents, and the thinking was it was always preferable to detain the family as a unit or release the family as the unit," Fresco told CNN.

Before Kelly's announcement, a senior DHS officer told CNN Friday that the proposal is meant to curb down the exploitation of children while traveling or crossing borders. "We are trying to find ways to deter the use of children in illegal immigration. We are seeing kids essentially kidnapped and used to get here and stay," he said.

DHS spokesman David Lapan said in a statement to CNN last week that the agency "continually explores options that may discourage those from even beginning the journey."

"The journey north is a dangerous one, with too many situations where children -- brought by parents, relatives or smugglers -- are often exploited, abused or may even lose their lives," Lapan said at the time.