President Donald Trump ordered several of his Cabinet secretaries to explore ways to detain more immigrants and end the so-called catch and release standards.
The U.S. only has room to detain around 40,000 immigrants at once, and some immigrants like children can only be detained for a short period of time.
Trump's memo to the Justice, Homeland Security, Defense, State and Health and Human Services Department heads asked them to report back on existing locations that can be used as detention facilities, as well as facilities currently under construction or that could be modified for that purpose.
Starting under President George W. Bush, "catch and release" allows authorities to free immigrants after arrest if they're not deemed a flight risk. Due to the immense backlog of court cases, it can sometimes take years before their court date comes up.
Trump's memo also called for a report on what can be done to pressure countries to take back their citizens after they are deported from the U.S.
