The policy absolutely was intended as a deterrence: the heads of the three major immigration agencies wrote to their boss, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirst

The policy absolutely was intended as a deterrence: the heads of the three major immigration agencies wrote to their boss, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen, to present her with three options for how to step up immigration enforcement at the border. They recommended “Option 3” — prosecuting every adult who crossed the border illegally, including those who came with their children — because it would “have the greatest impact on current flows.”[2] > No matter what, arrestees can not bring their kids to jail, ever. And yet through some miracle they reversed this policy and issued a new executive order reversing the "zero-tolerance policy" that says: "The President’s executive order issued on June 20, 2018, directed, among other things, that the Secretary of Homeland Security maintain custody of alien families during any criminal improper entry or immigration proceedings involving their family members, to the extent possible. This order stated that the policy of the administration is to maintain family unity, including by detaining alien families together where appropriate."[1] This is a return to how it used to be run - families were detained together. [1] https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/696788.pdf https://www.gao.gov/assets/700/696788.pdf [2] https://theintercept.com/2018/09/25/family-separation-border-crossings-zero-tolerance/ https://theintercept.com/2018/09/25/family-separation-border...