Government Says It Met Court-Ordered Deadline To Reunite ‘Eligible’ Families, But Hundreds Of Kids Remain In Custody
There are reports of failed reunifications, though, that are raising questions about whether the deadline has indeed been met. Beyond that, there are hundreds of parents who have either been deemed ineligible or were deported without their children.
The New York Times:
Federal Authorities Say They Have Met Deadline To Reunite Migrant Families
The federal government reported Thursday that it would meet a court-ordered deadline to reunite the last “eligible” migrant families separated at the Southwest border, but hundreds of children remained in federal custody as a result of a contentious immigration policy that has drawn international condemnation. (Dickerson, Correal and Ferman, 7/26)
The Washington Post:
Hundreds Of Migrant Children Remain In Custody, Though Most Separated Families Are Reunited At Court Deadline
But 711 children remain in government shelters because their parents have criminal records, their cases remain under review or the parents are no longer in the United States, officials said. The latter group includes 431 parents. Chris Meekins, an official at the Department of Health and Human Services, which has led the reunification effort, told reporters that “hundreds of staff have worked 24/7” to meet the court’s 30-day deadline. Administration officials said they would work with the court to figure out how to return the remaining children, including those whose parents have been deported. (Miroff and Schmidt, 7/26)
The Wall Street Journal:
Government Rushes To Meet Family-Reunification Deadline
Several immigrant advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and Kids in Need of Defense, said they remained concerned the government’s reunification efforts weren’t going far enough. Lee Gelernt, the ACLU lawyer handling the group’s lawsuit that prompted the reunifications, said his organization was still waiting for information about which parents and children had been brought back together and where they were. “The Trump administration is trying to sweep them under the rug by unilaterally picking and choosing who is eligible for reunification,” Mr. Gelernt said. “We will continue to hold the government accountable and get these families back together.” (Caldwell and Campo-Flores, 7/26)
The Associated Press:
US Government: Over 1,800 Migrant Kids Reunited By Deadline
Shy children were given a meal and a plane or bus ticket to locations around the U.S. as non-profit groups tried to smooth the way for kids reunited with their parents as a deadline loomed following their separations at the U.S. Mexico border. The Trump administration said Thursday that more than 1,800 children 5 years and older had been reunited with parents or sponsors hours before the deadline. That included 1,442 children who were returned to parents who were in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, and another 378 who were released under a variety of other circumstances. (7/27)
Reuters:
Reunited Family's Next Challenge: Fighting For U.S. Asylum
Maria Marroquin Perdomo fretted as she waited with her 11-year-old son, Abisai, in the New Orleans International Airport. A day earlier, the mother and son had been reunited in Texas after being separated by U.S. immigration officials for more than a month, an ordeal that followed a harrowing journey from Honduras. Now they awaited another reunion: With the father Abisai had not seen in person since he was an infant. (Thevenot and Elliott, 7/26)
In other news, a poll finds a stark communication barrier when Hispanic patients seek care —
The Associated Press:
AP-NORC Poll: Latinos Health Care Communication Woes
Nearly 6 in 10 Hispanic adults have had a difficult time communicating with a health care provider because of a language or cultural barrier, and when they do they often turn to outside sources for help, according to a new study conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. (7/27)