He doesn’t want them counted as criminals for ICE purposes because then half of the people in ICE custody would be released.
Via Free Beacon:
Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.) on Monday scolded Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance policy toward illegal immigration, referencing the president’s push to make it “criminal” for illegal immigrants to drive under the influence of alcohol.
Menendez appeared on CNN’s “Situation Room,” where he was asked about Matt Albence, the deputy director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), voicing his concerns over a cap on the number of beds in immigration detention centers. Albence said the Democratic proposal would be “extremely damaging to public safety.”
“How do you respond?” host Wolf Blitzer asked Menendez.
“The reason that they are already 8,000 over their budgeted amount, so they’re violating the budget, is because of the president’s zero-tolerance policy that has turned everyone, regardless of their record, into a criminal,” Menendez said. “For example, if you cross the border undocumented, he has now made you a criminal. He is creating that problem by turning people away who legitimately seek asylum.”