Day 517: A public relations nightmare.

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

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1/ Trump signed an executive order to reverse his administration's policy of separating families at the border. Trump said that while the order "will solve that problem" of children being separated from their parents, it wouldn't end his administr...

Visit WTF Just Happened Today? for more news and headlines, brought to you by Matt Kiser. The WTFJHT Podcast is narrated and produced by Joe Amditis.

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Subscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free

1/ Trump signed an executive order to reverse his administration's policy of separating families at the border. Trump said that while the order "will solve that problem" of children being separated from their parents, it wouldn't end his administration's "zero tolerance" policy of prosecuting everyone caught attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The plan potentially violates a 1997 consent decree that prohibits the federal government from keeping children in immigration detention for more than 20 days. (New York Times / Politico / Washington Post / NBC News)

2/ Separating migrant children from their parents costs the Trump administration more than keeping them with their parents. The "tent cities" to house children cost $775 per person per night, compared with $256 per person per night to hold the children in a permanent housing facility. To house children with their family costs $298 per person per night. The increased cost is due to additional security, air conditioning, medical workers, and other government contractors to staff the tent cities. (NBC News)

Babies and young children separated from their families at the border are being sent to "tender age" shelters in South Texas. Doctors and lawyers who visited the shelters described the facilities as clean and safe, but that the kids were hysterical, crying and acting out. (Associated Press)

Corey Lewandowski replied "womp womp" to mention of a 10-year-old girl with Down syndrome being separated from her parents by the Trump administration's immigration policy. Trump's former campaign manager later clarified his remark, saying he simply "mocked a liberal who attempted to politicize children as opposed to discussing the real issue which is fixing a broken immigration system." (Politico)

Kirstjen Nielsen was heckled by protesters who chanted "Shame!" and "End family separation!" while she was having dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Washington, D.C. Diners at the restaurant applauded the protesters. The Homeland Security secretary paid her check and was escorted out of the restaurant by Secret Service agents after 15 minutes of chanting. (Washington Post / Politico)

3/ Michael Cohen resigned from his post as the deputy finance chair of the Republican National Committee's Finance Committee. Cohen cited the ongoing special counsel investigation as one reason for his departure. (ABC News / Politico...

Visit WTF Just Happened Today? for more news and headlines, brought to you by Matt Kiser. The WTFJHT Podcast is narrated and produced by Joe Amditis.