700 separated children still in US custody after deadline
LOS ANGELES: The US government says hundreds of families it broke up at the border with Mexico have not been reunited, as a court-ordered deadline to return all children to their parents elapsed.
A federal judge in California had ordered that all eligible migrant families be brought back together by 6pm on Thursday and officials said in a court filing that 1,442 children aged five and older had been reunited with their parents.
“The reunification plan ... is proceeding and is expected to result in the reunification of all class members found eligible for reunification at this time by the court’s July 26 deadline,” the government said.
A further 378 children had already been released under other “appropriate circumstances,” the filing added, but more than 700 children remained in custody.
But the government said the deadline had not been met as those families were ineligible, either because family ties had not been confirmed, or the parent had a criminal record or communicable disease or could not be found.
The controversial separations began in May, when migrants entering illegally were detained en masse and their children taken to detention centres and shelters.
The American Civil Liberties Union (Aclu), which brought the lawsuit to reunite the families, said on Thursday that the government was manipulating the figures to give a false impression of success.
“We’re thrilled for the families who are finally reunited, but many more remain separated,” said Lee Gelernt, deputy director of Aclu’s Immigrants’ Rights Project.
“The Trump administration is trying to sweep them under the rug by unilaterally picking and choosing who is eligible for reunification. We will continue to hold the government accountable and get these families back together.”
The deadline is seen as turning a page on the scandal, but the turmoil is just starting for many families that now face life-altering decisions, including whether to agree to longterm separations, rights advocates and lawmakers said.