Story highlights The program will be phased out by June 20

Critics say the decision places undue burdens on a traumatized population

Washington (CNN) The Trump administration is shuttering a program designed to keep vulnerable asylum seekers -- mainly mothers and young children, including pregnant and nursing women -- out of detention.

The program was piloted by the Obama administration after a 2014 crisis in detention centers brought on by a surge of families and unaccompanied minors trying to cross the border with the US.

The move is the latest effort under President Donald Trump to prioritize immigration enforcement and deportations over policies he argues incentivized people trying to come to the US illegally. But critics say it will place an undue burden on traumatized families with legitimate asylum claims.

As of April 19, the Family Case Management Program had 630 families enrolled in it, but it will be phased out by June 20, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

ICE introduced the program as a pilot in September 2015. According to an Obama administration fact sheet about the program, it specifically prioritized "families with certain vulnerabilities, including pregnant or nursing family member; those with very young children; family members with medical/mental health concerns; families who speak only indigenous languages; and other special needs."

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