1000 migrant kids not back with families

Just under 1000 children separated from their parents while attempting to enter the US during Donald Trump’s presidency have yet to be reunited, the US Government said.

When President Joe Biden took over from Mr Trump in January 2021, he vowed quickly to undo his predecessor’s “zero-tolerance” approach to illegal immigration, which had resulted in thousands of children being separated from their parents after crossing the US southern border.

A task force set up to co-ordinate reunification efforts “has to date identified 3924 children” separated during Mr Trump’s four years in office, of which 2926 have been reunited, the Department of Homeland Security said on Thursday (local time).

“Of the 998 children who remain to be reunited … 148 children are in the process of reunification and 183 families have been informed of the opportunity to reunify by a contracted NGO,” the press release added.

US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, the leader of the task force, said “our critical work is not finished”.

“We reaffirm our commitment to work relentlessly to reunite the other families who suffered because of the prior cruel and inhumane policy,” Mr Mayorkas said.

In 2017, Mr Trump’s administration raised the idea of separating children from parents as a way to deter illegal immigration. Mr Trump’s policy allowed criminal proceedings to be brought against anyone who crossed the border illegally, resulting in parents being immediately taken into custody without their children.