(CNN) The Justice Department formally rescinded the Trump administration's controversial "zero tolerance" policy that called for the criminal prosecution of adults crossing the border and led to the separation of thousands of families, according to a memo obtained by CNN. The policy was ended by former President Donald Trump in June 2018 after mounting criticism, but on Tuesday, the department moved to rescind it altogether. "Consistent with this longstanding principle of making individualized assessments in criminal cases, I am rescinding -- effective immediately -- the policy directive," acting Attorney General Monty Wilkinson said in a memo to federal prosecutors. "While policies may change, our mission always remains the same: to seek justice under the law," Wilkinson added. The Associated Press first reported on the memo.

Source: CNN January 26, 2021 22:30 UTC