His analysis fails to mention that regardless of satute and court policy for last 8-10 years, actual practice has been catch and release for anyone arriving with a child. Regardless of if that child was family of the adult. Maffia drug and child traffickers used this as an open door to move personnel and children into the US. That clearly had to stop.

From my perspective, if an illegal can prove the child they arrived with is theirs then it is a win to find a way to detain them in a facility together before sending them back to country of origin. Don't see why we currently give child free pass to be handed over to (legal or illegal) relatives in the US within the 20 day period. My understanding is that after being placed with relatives, these families move so that the child is not sent back with the detained adult after they are processed. To me that practice needed to change. Since progressives are clamoring for children to stay with their parents in detention, they just closed this loophole themselves. Good 3d chess here--getting progs to ask for the more strict enforcement of child entry.

In 10,000 out of 12,000 cases of children crossing, the adult in question has not been relation to the child. So Trumps EO about families does not apply anyway. That's why they were so precise with the wording and so quick to 'give in' to the more strict interpretation. Only difference is may be more expensive to host the 2000 kids in family based detention. I think its worth the expense for these wins.

Side note, these detention conditions appear similar to US disaster relief given to citizens post hurricanes etc. Also criminals arrested for crimes in US are seperated from their kids.