Stephen Bannon, former chief strategist to President Trump
Donald John TrumpTrump reschedules Tulsa rally after criticism of overlap with Juneteenth New York Times endorses Engel primary challenger Trump campaign manager says 300,000 tickets registered for upcoming rally MORE, said Sunday that the Trump administration’s "zero tolerance" policy on immigration doesn’t have to be justified.
“It’s zero tolerance. I don’t think you have to justify it,” Bannon told ABC’s “This Week.” “We have a crisis on the southern border but the elites in the city … want to manage situations to bad outcomes. And Donald Trump is not going to do that, he’s just not going to kick the can down the road.”
Steve Bannon
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) June 17, 2018Stephen (Steve) Kevin BannonFormer Trump adviser Jason Miller to join reelection campaign GOP lawmaker calls on Senate to confirm Michael Pack as head of US media agency Steve Bannon is winning MORE to @jonkarl on the Trump Administration's policy of separating children from their parents illegally crossing the southern border: "I don't think you have to justify it. We have a crisis on the southern border." pic.twitter.com/wmn49YecgK
“He went to a zero tolerance policy. It is a crime to come across illegally and children get separated. That’s the law and he is enforcing the law,” Bannon added.
The policy, announced in April by Attorney General Jeff Sessions
Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsThe Hill's Campaign Report: Biden marks 4th anniversary of Pulse nightclub shooting Sessions-Tuberville Senate runoff heats up in Alabama McCabe, Rosenstein spar over Russia probe MORE, seeks to prosecute migrants who cross into the U.S. illegally. The practice has led to thousands of migrant children being separated from their parents while their parents are prosecuted.
At the time, Sessions acknowledged the process could lead to such separations upon adults being apprehended.
Questioned on the morality of the immigration policy, Bannon said morality wasn’t a factor when enforcing the policy.
“The morality is the law. They are criminals when they come across illegally,” Bannon said.
Trump has claimed that the policy is in place due to Democrats' refusal to negotiate more stringent immigration laws, but the Trump administration policy has garnered widespread condemnation from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) on Saturday called the poicy "unacceptable," charging the White House with the responsibility to end the practice.
"This is clearly something that the administration can change. They don't need legislation to change it," Hurd said.
