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The report concludes that "DOJ did not effectively plan for or coordinate with [other agencies] about the impact ... Zero Tolerance policy would have on children, despite senior leaders' awareness that it would result in the separation of children."
Read: https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/21-028_0.pdf https://twitter.com/Haleaziz/status/1349763396187537411
![The report concludes that "DOJ did not effectively plan for or coordinate with [other agencies] about the impact ... Zero Tolerance policy would have on children, despite senior leaders' awareness that it would result in the separation of children."Read: https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/21-028_0.pdf https://twitter.com/Haleaziz/status/1349763396187537411](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErtTvlsWMAEk34F.png "The report concludes that \"DOJ did not effectively plan for or coordinate with [other agencies] about the impact ... Zero Tolerance policy would have on children, despite senior leaders' awareness that it would result in the separation of children.\"Read: https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/21-028_0.pdf https://twitter.com/Haleaziz/status/1349763396187537411")
Read: https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/21-028_0.pdf https://twitter.com/Haleaziz/status/1349763396187537411
Today @JusticeOIG confirms NYT's reporting that Jeff Sessions told a room full of US Attorneys that "We need to take away children."
One month later, former DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen claimed "We do not have a policy of separating families at the border. Period."
One month later, former DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen claimed "We do not have a policy of separating families at the border. Period."
Gene Hamilton, a major Stephen Miller ally who is responsible for working on many of the worst immigration policies, including family separation, repeatedly told U.S. Attorneys that DHS was adequately caring for separated children. None of that was true—especially this part.
To be clear on that last tweet, Gene Hamilton's claim that DHS attorneys *in immigration court* would have any decision-making power over family separation and reunification was a fairy tale. That's not how the system works. And he was telling that to AUSAs to reassure them.
Rod Rosenstein comes out quite badly in this report, insisting that he was just following Sessions' orders, that he did a good job of "manag[ing] our [DOJ] lane," that it was the Border Patrol's fault parents with small children were prosecuted, and he was often misunderstood.
![Rod Rosenstein comes out quite badly in this report, insisting that he was just following Sessions' orders, that he did a good job of "manag[ing] our [DOJ] lane," that it was the Border Patrol's fault parents with small children were prosecuted, and he was often misunderstood.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErtXa48XUAMdFED.png "Rod Rosenstein comes out quite badly in this report, insisting that he was just following Sessions' orders, that he did a good job of \"manag[ing] our [DOJ] lane,\" that it was the Border Patrol's fault parents with small children were prosecuted, and he was often misunderstood.")
![Rod Rosenstein comes out quite badly in this report, insisting that he was just following Sessions' orders, that he did a good job of "manag[ing] our [DOJ] lane," that it was the Border Patrol's fault parents with small children were prosecuted, and he was often misunderstood.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErtXkKKWMAQPUPF.png "Rod Rosenstein comes out quite badly in this report, insisting that he was just following Sessions' orders, that he did a good job of \"manag[ing] our [DOJ] lane,\" that it was the Border Patrol's fault parents with small children were prosecuted, and he was often misunderstood.")
The *most forgiving* reading of this new OIG report is that every single person at the top of DHS and DOJ who ordered Zero Tolerance was a complete idiot who had no idea of how the policy would actually be carried out because of a willful blindness to contrary evidence.
Gene Hamilton tries to pretend like he had no idea that Zero Tolerance would result in family separations and lead to children being placed into ORR custody away from their parents.
The OIG includes two footnotes strongly suggesting Hamilton is lying about his understanding.
The OIG includes two footnotes strongly suggesting Hamilton is lying about his understanding.
Rod Rosenstein didn't know what the Flores settlement required in JUNE 2018, months after Zero Tolerance had begun and after thousands of children had already been separated.
Just an unbelievable failure on all parts.
Just an unbelievable failure on all parts.
Rosenstein's response to the @JusticeOIG report is to basically admit he completely screwed up and now believes the policy was a failure from the beginning.
That is mirrored in the report itself, specifically this response. https://twitter.com/NickMiroff/status/1349766613990600705
That is mirrored in the report itself, specifically this response. https://twitter.com/NickMiroff/status/1349766613990600705
The conclusion of the @JusticeOIG report is scathing. Despite DOJ's previous attempts to blame family separation on DHS, OIG finds that Sessions led the effort and knew the consequences, and a "single-minded focus on increasing prosecutions" led to major red flags being ignored.
