akuperma,
“The parents are free to take their children and either enter the United States legally at a border crossing (if their papers are in order), or return home.”
A lot of these families are seeking asylum, and they actually seek out the authorities upon crossing the border.
“None of them are fleeing anything so horrible that they would qualify for asylum.”
Do you know anything about the situation in El Salvador and Honduras?
“Trump has asked permission to keep the parents and children together while they are being held pending a decision on deporting them, but Congress needs to pass a statute to allow it.”
Untrue, as proven by the recent executive order.