Due to the Trump Administration’s radical border policies, over 3,000 children have been separated from their immigrant parents and placed into the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Public outrage across the country has prompted the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California to order that all immigrant children be reunited with their parents by July 26. Currently, the HHS claims that it’s impossible to reunite half of the 3,000 children due to logistical reasons and the number of forced deportations. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has been fighting to delay these mass deportations that continue to separate these families.
The Trump Administration currently claims that over 57 children under the age of 5 have been reunited with their parents. However, attorneys claim they are unable to verify if immigration officials actually succeeded in this endeavor. The ACLU filed a lawsuit accusing immigration officials of preventing third party witnesses from verifying the reunifications. According to the ACLU, immigration authorities intentionally failed to provide information about when and where the reunifications would take place. This makes it impossible to verify if the family reunions actually occurred.
According to HHS Secretary Alex Azar and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the “reunifications were completed” and “The Trump Administration…intend[s] to continue our good faith efforts to reunify families.” However, the ACLU is currently investigating the Trump Administrations procedures and sincerity. For example, there have been claims that immigration officials are forcing parents to pay for DNA testing and additional reunification costs.
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Contact Guerra Sáenz, PL if you require legal representation or have questions about the immigration process. Our Coral Springs immigration lawyer is a Board Certified Specialist in Immigration Law, and has represented over 1000 cases before the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the Department of State, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.
Our firm is dedicated to protecting immigrant rights. Call our Coral Springs immigration attorney at (888) 936-3228 to schedule a case evaluation.