Trump asks Congress for third option on illegal immigration

President Donald Trump is asserting he has only two options on immigration: Separating migrant children from their parents at the border or simply implementing an “open borders” policy.

Trump is discussing immigration during remarks in front of the National Federation of Independent Business’s 75th anniversary celebration.

He says he’s requesting a “third option” from Congress that will allow officials to detain children and parents together as a family unit. A new “zero tolerance” policy from the Trump administration has led to a spike in children being separated from their parents at the border as they seek entry.

Trump says, “we’ve got to stop separation of the families,” but says: “we can’t let people pour in.” He’s arguing that, “politically correct or not, we have a country that needs security, that needs safety.”

Meantime, the Central American nation of Guatemala says it has a preliminary count of 465 Guatemalen children who have been separated from families on the U.S. border.

Foreign Minister Sandra Jovel says authorities are checking to verify the complete number, and consular officials are working to identify minors and follow each case.

Jovel says the Guatemalan government sent a note to the U.S. State Department “asking for help” to resolve the situation. She adds that Guatemala is asking “for respect and for there to be concern for children.”

Jovel said Tuesday that the minors “are not detained but rather in shelters where they are being given the best treatment possible.”