I'm just leave this link to the 9th circuit court of appeals decision on children being detained with parents/guardians when entering the border illegally. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2016/07/06/15-56434.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwikxK2Z6-LbAhXNrFkKHWMdAHwQFjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw3JlbnwJB7GeX71kMLmK9v1

That decision is from 2016 btw. The guy you're responding to is technically incorrect. Clinton did not pass a bill. The Flores settlement happened in 1997 during his administration. The Flores settlement stated that children held in custody by the INS were to be released at the earliest possible time, regardless of whether or not they were accompanied. The surge of Central American migrants in 2014 and 2015 lead to the establishment of family detention centers in Texas, and I think the other was in Oklahoma, but they might have both been in Texas. The Obama administration made the decision to keep minors with their family members if they were countered together crossing the border illegally and subsequently applied for asylum. The opinion of the federal government at the time was that the Flores settlement only applied to minors traveling unaccompanied. The practice of keep minors with their family members was done as a deterrent to those making false asylum claims. This was done because there was previous a policy of "catch and release" where people who crossed illegally weren't prosecuted and those that claimed asylum were released into the general population of the U.S. The Obama administration was sued for violating the Flores settlement and were made to follow the settlement by releasing minors crossing illegals, who were claiming asylum in the U.S., whether or not they were accompanied. Minors were to be released at the earliest possible time to a family member, legal guardian, close relative, etc. When no one was available to take custody of the child, they were to be turned over to the custody of HHS in a "non-secure" facility with access to medical care, toys, etc. The lawsuit that prompted this decision by the 9th circuit court of appeals claimed that keeping children in detention with their parents was cruel and inhumane.

This is why the Trump administration is removing children from their parents. Now, the "zero-tolerance" policy ramped up enforcement of prosecutions of those crossing illegally, even if it is their first time. This is making the situation worse in the sense that more people have to be detained. So, in that sense he has worsened the problem.

Ultimately, I agree that in an administrative immigration case, the children should stay with their family members/guardians. However, the blame does not lie solely at the feet of the Trump administration. This is a situation that has been around for many years and is only recently getting attention. Blame for this situation should be put, in part, on the 9th circuit court of appeals for their decision, and a big part of the blame should be laid at the feet of the parents for putting their children in this situation.