Remarks on Signing an Executive Order Affording Congress an Opportunity To Address Family Separation and an Exchange With Reporters

The President. Well, thank you very much. We're signing an Executive order I consider to be a very important Executive order. It's about keeping families together while at the same time making sure that we have a very powerful, very strong border. And border security will be equal, if not greater than previously.

So we're going to have strong—very strong—borders, but we're going to keep the families together. I didn't like the sight or the feeling of families being separated. This a problem that's gone on for many years, as you know, through many administrations. And we're working very hard on immigration. It's been just left out in the cold. People haven't dealt with it, and we are dealing with it.

So step by step, just like we dealt with North Korea, we dealt with Iran, we dealt with an economy that was heading in the wrong direction. We dealt with a lot of different problems. This is one that has been gone on for many decades.

So we're keeping families together, and this will solve that problem. At the same time, we are keeping a very powerful border, and it continues to be a zero-tolerance. We have zero tolerance for people that enter our country illegally.

With that, I'd ask Mike Pence, Vice President, if you'd like to say anything.

Vice President Michael R. Pence. Well, thank you, Mr. President. And I think what the President has made clear is, we believe it's a false choice between whether we are a country of law and order, a country with borders, and a country that demonstrates the compassion and the heart of the American people and respect for families.

By taking this action, the President will make it possible for us to continue to engage in enforcing the law against individuals who violate our law, come into our country illegally. But now we'll be able, in that prosecution in the immediate days forward, to keep families together as that goes forward.

But we are calling on Congress to change the laws in this regard and in a broad range of areas that will secure our borders and give us strength and confidence that we are once again going to take the steps necessary to end the crisis of illegal immigration in America.

The President. I think the word "compassion" comes into it, but it's still equally as tough, if not tougher.

Secretary Nielsen, would you like to say something?

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen. I just thank you for your leadership, sir. We look forward and expect the House to act this week. We ask them to do their job. The laws need to be changed. This is a problem that President after President has dealt with for decades. This one is willing to stand up and fix it. We ask Congress to do their part.

Thank you, sir, for your leadership.

The President. Thank you very much. Great job. Okay. You're going to have a lot of happy people.

[At this point, the President signed the Executive order and handed the pen to Secretary Nielsen.]

Secretary Nielsen. Thank you, sir.

Border Security/Immigration Reform

Q. Mr. President, why did you wait so long to sign, sir? We've seen this been covered for 40 hours.

The President. It's been going on for 60 years. Sixty years. Nobody has taken care of it. Nobody has had the political courage to take care of it. But we're going to take care of it. But it's been going on—it's been going on for a long time.

Border Security/Separation of Parents and Children at Mexico-U.S. Border/Immigration Reform

Q. Do you think you're backing down? Critics are saying that maybe you're——

The President. No, no, the border is just as tough, but we do want to keep families together. This is a problem. If you look at some of those horrible scenes from a few years ago—to me, they were horrible scenes. They were just terrible. And that was during the Obama administration. Other administrations have had the same thing. We're keeping the family together. And so this is it.

And also, there may be some litigation. We're also wanting to go through Congress. We will be going through Congress. We're working on a much more comprehensive bill. A lot of good things are happening toward immigration and proper immigration. But we have to have strong borders. And ultimately, we want to see it done right, and it will be done right.

But what we have done today is, we are keeping families together. The borders are just as tough, just as strong. They can come in through ports of entry if they want. That's a whole different story. And that's coming in through a process, and the process is what we want.

So I want to thank you all very much. I think this is something——

[Many reporters began asking questions at once.]

Border Security

Q. Mr. President, what is your level of frustration that you still don't have money for that border wall with Mexico?

The President. Thank you very much, everybody.

We'll get the wall—we'll get the wall done. We'll get the wall done.

Yes?

Assistant to the President Ivanka M. Trump/The First Lady/Separation of Parents and Children at the Mexico-U.S. Border

Q. Did Ivanka Trump show you photos of the children being separated from their parents?

The President. No, Ivanka feels very strongly. My wife feels very strongly about it. I feel very strongly about it. I think anybody with a heart would feel very strongly about it. We don't like to see families separated. At the same time, we don't want people coming into our country illegally. This takes care of the problem.

Thank you very much.

Q. Why did it take you a few days to sign it, Mr. President? Mr. President, why did it take you a few days to sign it?

The President. Thank you very much. Thank you, Kaitlan [Kaitlan Collins, CNN].

[The President pointed to Secretary Nielsen.]

She's doing a great job.

Thank you.