Unrepentant, DOJ Defends 'No Bond for Babies' Policy

Lest one be misled by President Obama's 'felons, not families' rhetoric, look no further than this March 20, 2015 court filing by DOJ defending the execrable Matter of D-J- 'no bond for babies' policy.

In a nutshell, it's all about deterrence, according to DOJ: "After construction of these family residential centers, the numbers of family units illegally crossing the border significantly decreased. Vitiello Decl. ¶ 14.16  This is at least in part because building these facilities helped diminish the mistaken perception that a “permiso” was waiting on the other end of an illegal crossing into the United States, and forced families to consider the possibility of detention, along with enforcement and subsequent removal, when deciding whether to illegally enter the United States.  See Johnson Decl. ¶¶ 7; Vitiello Decl. ¶¶ 9-11.  This caused some families to decide not to make the dangerous trip to the United States.  See Vitiello Decl. ¶¶ 9-11.  Thus, DHS strongly believes – and experience shows – that the appropriate use of family detention is a key element of the U.S. Government’s efforts to deter aliens from Central America from making the dangerous journey across Mexico and into the United States.  See Johnson Decl. ¶ 7, Vitiello Decl. ¶¶ 12-14; Homan Decl., ¶ 7."  (R.I.L.R. v. Johnson, No. 1:15-cv-00011-JEB, D.D.C., Motion for Reconsideration, pp. 21-22.)

Recap on Law360 here: DHS Asks Judge To Rethink Injunction On Family Detention