US govt ordered to provide list of separated migrant kids
SAN DIEGO: The US government must provide a list by yesterday evening of the estimated 100 children under the age of 5 who were separated from their parents when entering the United States, a federal judge ordered on Friday.
US Judge Dana Sabraw also ordered the government to explain by yesterday its expectation for reuniting each of those children with their parents by the end of Tuesday.
Sabraw last month issued the reunification order, which also set a July 26 deadline for more than 2,000 children to be reunited.
The US government attorneys said they may fail to meet those deadlines due to delays in confirming family relationships, but Sabraw declined to extend them without more information.
“What I’m contemplating is the government provides a list to plaintiffs counsel by tomorrow 5pm (PDT, midnight GMT) with the identities of the children,” said Sabraw.
He also asked the government to provide the American Civil Liberties Union, which brought the class action case, with expectations for meeting the deadline for each of the children on the list.
The judge scheduled a status conference for Monday at 10am PDT, and he said he hopes the government and ACLU can reach agreement about any need to extend the reunification deadline.
The government said in court documents that it was particularly struggling to connect children with parents who were released from detention.
An ACLU attorney, Lee Gelernt, said organizations would jump at the chance to help connect the parents with the children.
“We have been deluged by thousands of doctors, lawyers and people who want to help,” Gelernt said after the hearing.
“The outpouring is incredible. Every one is feeling we should not make these children pawns.”
Gelernt criticized the government at the hearing for presenting parents a form that suggests the only way to get their child back is to give up their asylum claim.
“We believe there is some coercion going on, whether intended or not,” he told the judge.
The separations have sparked a fierce outcry and numerous protests, part of a political firestorm over US President Donald Trump’s ‘zero tolerance’ immigration policy and beefed-up efforts to deter illegal US entry. — Reuters