[6][7] In March 2023 it was widely reported that the Biden administration was considering restarting the practice of detaining migrant families who cross the border illegally.[8][9] As of October 2023, the Biden administration has not restarted this practice, opting instead to release families into the United States temporarily and "using ankle bracelets, traceable cellphones or other methods to keep track of them.[15][16] In December 2021, Axios reported that ICE would stop engaging in family detention for the time being, and officials confirmed this.[6][7] Customs and Border Patrol (CBP), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security, holds immigrant families after their initial arrest.Pentagon spokesmen and a memorandum sent to Congress confirmed that the Department of Defense was preparing facilities at four military bases in Texas and Arkansas to house 20,000 "unaccompanied alien children.
Border Patrol Tents in El Paso Texas on Hondo Pass 2019