United States President Donald Trump defended his policy of separating children from their families who have been illegally crossing the southern US-Mexico border, saying, to prosecute parents for illicit entry, "you have to take the children away."


"I don't want children taken away from parents. When you prosecute the parents for coming in illegally -- which should happen -- you have to take the children away," CNN quoted Trump, as saying.


He delivered his remarks at the National Federation of Independent Businesses 75th Anniversary Celebration."They are fake. They are helping these smugglers and these traffickers like nobody would believe," he added.


The Trump administration's immigration policy is facing a backlash from both Democrats and Republicans, who call it inhuman to separate the minors from their families during immigration.


Nearly 2,000 children were taken away from their parents in a six-week period in April and May under the new Trump administration policy, according to several media reports.


Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a new "zero-tolerance" policy on the border in April to prosecute immigrants for entering the country illegally.


By virtue of this policy, families who crossed together illegally would in some cases be separated, prompting a sweeping outcry from Democrats and immigration advocates.


Parents have since been arrested and placed in quick federal court proceedings near the border, while children are placed in shelters. Mexico's foreign minister has called the US policy "cruel and inhuman". -- ANI