*By Alisha Haridasani* President Trump signed an [executive order](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/affording-congress-opportunity-address-family-separation/) on Wednesday ending the practice of separating children from their parents while still detaining those who have illegally crossed the southern border. "We're going to keep the families together," Trump said when he signed executive order. "At the same time we are keeping a very powerful border." After widespread condemnation from elected officials, corporate leaders, former first ladies, and most recently, the Pope, President Trump directed Homeland Security to detain families together while they wait for their case to be processed. Detaining families together, however, goes against a 1997 consent decree that prohibits the federal government from holding children for more than 20 days. In his executive order, Trump also directed the Attorney General Jeff Sessions to modify the decree in order to "detain alien families together throughout the pendency of criminal proceedings." Trump's action was an extraordinary reversal for the president, who as recently as Tuesday night was defending his administration's "zero tolerance" police and blaming Congress for the crisis. His about-face appears to have been driven by the [bipartisan national outrage](https://cheddar.com/videos/republicans-scramble-to-fix-border-crisis-as-trump-digs-in) towards the new policy, which was implemented by Sessions in April and which has so far separated more than 2,000 children from their parents. “I think he probably expected he would have the support of Republicans to try to corner the Democrats and isolate them on this,” said Jack Crowe, news writer at the National Review. “But what’s happened is actually a lot of his own party have turned against him on this,” he said. “He doesn’t have a lot of allies left in this.” Trump's executive order also calls on Congress to draw up a broader package that would address immigration policy and fund his border wall. In the days leading up to the executive order, the administration also faced condemnation from the private sector, as major companies weighed in on the issue and urged policy changes. “It is a moral imperative to stop separating families,” said Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, who rarely speaks out on political issues. Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook chiefs have all also vehemently condemned Trump while Uber is reportedly exploring how its legal team can help the migrant families. For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/why-president-trump-says-hell-end-family-separation-at-the-border).

Share:
More In Politics
Federal Reserve cuts key rate as shutdown clouds economic outlook
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year as it seeks to shore up economic growth and hiring even as inflation stays elevated. The move comes amid a fraught time for the central bank, with hiring sluggish and yet inflation stuck above the Fed’s 2% target. Compounding its challenges, the central bank is navigating without much of the economic data it typically relies on from the government. The Fed has signaled it may reduce its key rate again in December but the data drought raises the uncertainty around its next moves. Fed Chair Jerome Powell told reporters that there were “strongly differing views” at the central bank's policy meeting about to proceed going forward.
US and China say a trade deal is drawing closer as meeting nears
U.S. and Chinese officials say a trade deal between the world’s two largest economies is drawing closer. The sides have reached an initial consensus for President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to aim to finalize during their high-stakes meeting Thursday in South Korea. Any agreement would be a relief to international markets. Trump's treasury secretary says discussions with China yielded preliminary agreements to stop the precursor chemicals for fentanyl from coming into the United States. Scott Bessent also says Beijing would make “substantial” purchases of soybean and other agricultural products while putting off export controls on rare earth elements needed for advanced technologies.
Trump suggests canceling Xi meeting and threatens more tariffs after China restricts key exports
President Donald Trump says “there seems to be no reason” to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as part of an upcoming trip to South Korea after China restricted exports of rare earths needed for American industry. The Republican president suggested Friday he was looking at a “massive increase” of import taxes on Chinese products in response to Xi’s moves. Trump says one of the policies the U.S. is calculating is "a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States." A monthslong calm on Wall Street was shattered, with U.S. stocks falling on the news. The Chinese Embassy in Washington hasn't responded to an Associated Press request for comment.
Load More