Mercedes Schlapp, White House director of strategic communication, speaks to ABC13 about controversial Trump immigration policy

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KTRK) -- The White House is revealing one way the children of undocumented immigrants can stay together with their parents and other adult family members.

Mercedes Schlapp, director of strategic communication for the White House, spoke with ABC13 on Tuesday to discuss the controversial, zero tolerance policy taken by President Trump on immigration.

Schlapp said during the interview that family separation could be avoided by doing one thing.

"If they cross the border, they will be prosecuted. Now, if they go through ports of entry, which as you know there's ports of entry along the border, they can claim asylum," Schlapp said. "They would not then be separated from their family, and that's just the reality of what we have in terms of enforcing this law."

WHITE HOUSE: HOW TO KEEP THE FAMILIES TOGETHER

Mercedes Schlapp, White House director of strategic communication, says families are only split up if they come across the border into the U.S. illegally.

Schlapp said Trump was meeting with Republican lawmakers to come up with a bipartisan plan on immigration and border security.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz announced Monday he would file legislation that would keep immigrant families together.

The White House said it has not seen that legislation and couldn't comment on whether Trump would support the bill.

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