Several immigrant advocacy groups have filed a complaint against the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), "accusing the agency of separating an increasing number of families at the border and urging immigration officials to stop the practice," according to this article from BuzzFeed News. The complaint argues that family separation not only traumatizes children and families but can also impede their chances of winning asylum or protection cases. The article references a report from Reuters which indicated that the "Department of Homeland Security was considering separating women and children who crossed the border as a way to deter families from coming to the US."
