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By Meg Wagner, Veronica Rocha, Brian Ries and Amanda Wills, CNN

Updated 9:52 p.m. ET, June 22, 2018

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10:24 p.m. ET, June 20, 2018

Health and Human Services now says further guidance is needed on family reunification

From CNN's Tal Kopan and Laura Jarrett

Central American asylum seekers, including a Honduran girl, 2, and her mother, are taken into custody near the US-Mexico border on June 12, 2018 in McAllen, Texas.

The Department of Health and Human Services walked back comments tonight that a spokesperson made earlier about the reunification of undocumented families who have been separated at the southern border.

Earlier today, HHS spokesman Kenneth Wolfe told CNN that President Trump's executive order had not changed anything in terms of family reunification of undocumented families.

“For the minors currently in the unaccompanied alien children program, the sponsorship process will proceed as usual,” Wolfe said.

Now, HHS says the spokesperson misspoke.

"It is still very early and we are awaiting further guidance on the matter," spokesperson Brian Marriott said in a statement.

"Reunification is always the ultimate goal of those entrusted with the care of UACs (unaccompanied alien children), and the administration is working towards that for those UACs currently in HHS custody," he added.

7:24 p.m. ET, June 20, 2018

Trump's executive order changes nothing for children who have been separated from their parents

From CNN's Tal Kopan

A Mission Police Dept. officer (L), and a U.S. Border Patrol agent watch over a group of Central American asylum seekers before taking them into custody on June 12, 2018 near McAllen, Texas.

President Trump's executive order has not changed anything in terms of reunification of undocumented families who have been separated at the southern border, a Health and Human Services official confirmed Wednesday.

The order does not speak to any families that have already been separated — and existing policies place the onus on parents to find their children in HHS custody and seek to reunite with them.

The bottom line: There are no new special procedures for those children.

“For the minors currently in the unaccompanied alien children program, the sponsorship process will proceed as usual,” HHS spokesman Kenneth Wolfe told CNN.

5:48 p.m. ET, June 20, 2018

Trump administration ducks questions on executive order and blames everyone else

From CNN's Tal Kopan

The White House just wrapped up a call briefing the media on the executive order President Trump just signed — repeatedly declining to answer questions about how the order will be implemented, what it means for currently separated families and why the administration changed its mind on being able to do anything to keep families together.

In a call with reporters, Gene Hamilton, who is counselor to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, also repeatedly said that the only long-term option supported by the administration is Congressional action, saying the President supports both bills being considered by the House on Thursday.

While Hamilton said the order would have “immediate effect,” he demurred on what, exactly, it would be, citing that the order acknowledges that implementation will be subject to what resources are available.

“There will be an implementation phase that follows. Certainly (Department of Homeland Security and (Health and Human Services) will be working and collaborating closely on the best way to implement this executive order,” Hamilton said.

“I can’t say what they’re going to do. … The President’s executive order makes clear what the policy is going forward,” he added.

He similarly ducked a question about whether families would still be separated, whether they will be released from custody as they were before, or what will happen to the families currently separated. He also acknowledged that as long as the court settlement the administration is seeking to overturn stands, they cannot detain families longer than 20 days.

6:38 p.m. ET, June 20, 2018

Trump’s family separations executive order, explained

From CNN's Tal Kopan

President Donald Trump displays an executive order he signed that will end the practice of separating family members who are apprehended while illegally entering the United States on June 20, 2018 in Washington, DC.

President Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday that he said would keep undocumented immigrant families together when they are detained at the southern border.

Here is what the executive order does (or you can read the order here):

Keeps families together, for the most part. While the Justice Department will continue to prosecute adults who cross the border illegally in federal court, the order says, Trump asks that families be housed together "where appropriate and consistent with law and available resources." It was not immediately clear whether the caveats would still result in a substantial number of separations.
Keeps families with DHS. In a major change, adults will not be turned over to the Justice Department when they face criminal charges, and will instead stay with their children in detention with the Department of Homeland Security. But there's a catch, saying the families will be detained to the "extent permitted by law and subject to the availability of appropriations" -- again something that remains to be worked out.
Jumps families to the front of the line in court. In order to expedite the process for deporting the family or giving them legal status, Trump orders the Justice Department to "prioritize" cases "involving detained families" -- presumably jumping them in line at immigration court and cutting down substantially the length of time before a judge hears their case.
Seeks indefinite detention. Trump ordered Attorney General Jeff Sessions to file a request in court to change the settlement in Flores v. Reno -- setting up a likely lengthy and intense litigation process that would seek the power to detain families in government custody indefinitely. The settlement, however, is overseen by a judge and an appellate court that already imposed these conditions, making the court challenge an uphill climb for the Trump administration.
Sets up family detention at military facilities. The order also instructs federal agencies -- especially the Defense Department -- to begin to prepare facilities that could house the potentially thousands of families that will now be detained by the government.
Blames Congress. The order also blames Congress -- specifically its failure to pass immigration legislation -- for the separation of families in the first place, saying the administration had no choice, even as the administration reversed course.

5:01 p.m. ET, June 20, 2018

DHS head stands by her comments that "only" Congress can fix this

From CNN's Manu Raju

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, speaking to reporters, stands by her comments from the White House briefing this week where she said “only Congress” can fix the situation at the border in light of Trump signing the executive order.

“Only Congress can act to secure the border, yes I do,” she said when I asked if she stood by her comments. “We need to change the law so I have the authority to secure the border for the American people.”

“We have court cases that prohibit us from keeping families together," she added.

Nielsen didn’t explain how to reconcile that statement with the fact that Trump just signed an EO.

In a private meeting with House Republicans, Nielsen did not acknowledge any mistakes or mishandling of situation at border. She laid out how the immigration bills House Republicans are pushing are consistent with Trump’s policies.

4:44 p.m. ET, June 20, 2018

Democratic senator: Don't be fooled by Trump's executive order

Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy issued a scathing statement that warns Americans to "not be fooled" by President Trump's executive order, which would keep families together at the border.

"After weeks of false and conflicting justifications for requiring that children be torn from their parents at the border, the President backed down," he said.

"But we must not be fooled. We need to ensure that the 2,500 children already separated are promptly reunited with their families."

Read his full statement:

Today the American people, through their forceful and justified outrage, proved that people, joining together, can drive positive change even during the Trump administration. After weeks of false and conflicting justifications for requiring that children be torn from their parents at the border, the President backed down. But we must not be fooled. We need to ensure that the 2,500 children already separated are promptly reunited with their families. We must be clear that mass incarceration of families is not the answer — alternatives exist that have proven to be effective, less costly, and more humane. And the Attorney General needs to restore discretion to our federal prosecutors along the border. With limited resources, it makes absolutely no sense to delay civil immigration proceedings in order to criminally prosecute migrants with no criminal records, who pose no threat, and who are only seeking refuge from unimaginable violence and terror in their home countries. The President may cynically assert that protecting our borders requires abhorrent treatment of immigrant children and their parents. But that is as wrong as it is un-American. The President owns this.

4:23 p.m. ET, June 20, 2018

There are 239 children in one New York City shelter because of Trump's "zero-tolerance" policy, mayor says

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio visits to the Cayuga Center in East Harlem, a facility currently accepting children separated from their families at the southern border, on Wednesday. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

A nine-month-old is one of 239 children at a shelter in Harlem as a result of the Trump administration’s policy that has lead to family separations, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday afternoon.

De Blasio, who toured the Cayuga Centers shelter before addressing the media, said more than 350 children had already been through the facility and questioned how this many children could be at just one facility without the city government being aware.

This is a day facility where children are in classes, he noted. The children are in individual foster homes.

Some of the children have bed bugs, lice, chicken pox and other physical and contagious diseases, he said. Some children are too young to communicate and are need of significant mental health services, he added.

3:38 p.m. ET, June 20, 2018

Ivanka Trump thanks her father for "ending family separations" at the border

President Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, just tweeted about her father's executive order to keep families together at the border.

According to several lawmakers, Trump told them that Ivanka had encouraged him to stop family separations. She also called House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine after a meeting with House Republicans on Tuesday night.

Here's Ivanka's tweet:

3:38 p.m. ET, June 20, 2018

Trump: Ivanka, Melania and I feel very strongly about the issue

President Trump said the first lady and his eldest daughter feel "very strongly" about the issue of border separations.

"Ivanka feels very strongly. My wife feels very strongly about it. I feel strongly about it," Trump said. "I think anybody with a heart would feel strongly about it. We don't like to see families separated."

Both Ivanka Trump and Melania Trump reportedly urged Trump to take action to end family separations

Several members of Congress said Trump the first daughter encouraged him to stop border separations and even called lawmakers about the issue. And Melania Trump had worked for several days behind the scenes, encouraging the President to keep families together, a White House official tells CNN.

Here's Trump's comments from moments ago: