Democrats skeptical about reunification

DHS chief assures deadline will be met for migrant families

Democratic lawmakers who met Wednesday with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen say they are skeptical that the government will meet a Thursday deadline to reunite all eligible children who were separated at the border from their immigrant parents.

Nielsen assured the lawmakers in a closed-door meeting that the administration is on track to comply with the deadline. Two weeks ago, the government was two days late in reuniting children under 5 by an earlier courtordered deadline, and even then reunited only half of them.

“It’s inconceivable they’ll be able to reunite the remaining children by the deadline,” U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, said at a news conference with five other congressmen Wednesday morning.

Up to 3,000 children have been separated from their parents since April under a zerotolerance policy against migrants who crossed the border illegally. After the policy was harshly criticized, President Donald Trump reversed the family separation practice last month, while still maintaining the immigration crackdown. A federal judge in San Diego then imposed two deadlines to reunite the families.

As of Tuesday evening, 1,012 of the 1,634 — or 61 percent — eligible parents have been reunited with their children; some 900 had final orders of deportation.

In the meeting Wednesday that at times grew combative, Castro said Nielsen told several members of Congress “I am not a racist. Nobody believes families should be separated.”

The Thursday deadline targets the remaining 2,551 separated children between the ages of 5 and 17. As of Monday, 1,187 children have been reunited with parents or other guardians.

The Trump administration also reported that up to 463 parents could have already been deported without their children. According to Castro, Nielsen said none of these parents have contacted the U.S. government in an attempt to locate their children.

Saying they were “deeply disturbed” by the deportations, Castro and four other members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asking that he ensure U.S. embassies in Central America facilitate family reunifications.

“To separate these children from their parents is disgusting and unconscionable. To then deport the parents from our country is a sign of just how far this administration will go to demonstrate its hatred and vitriol towards immigrants,” the letter reads.

U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw of San Diego, who is presiding over a lawsuit filed by the ACLU, commended the government for reunifying 133 parents between Monday’s court filing, when 879 had been reunified at that point, and a status update on Tuesday. “This is a remarkable achievement,” Sabraw said.

Sabraw assured the ACLU that it would be free, post-deadline, to challenge the government on its criteria for families ineligible for reunification.

Last week, Castro and other congressmen sent a letter to the government demanding more transparency and information on the reunification process. Health and Human Services didn’t respond.

“What will become of these kids? Does the government plan on finding the parents? The answers are unknown because the administration refuses to respond to any congressional inquiries my colleagues and I have sent in,” a frustrated Castro said at the press conference Wednesday morning.

Sabraw also reprimanded the government for not being forthcoming about the number of parents who may have been deported — the government said the 463 parents were not traceable in the United States, but could not confirm they were all deported.

“This is a deeply troubling reality,” the judge said. He demanded a complete tally on Wednesday. “There has to be an accounting.”

The government acknowledged that it can’t find the parents of 37 children, though they could have been unaccompanied minors who were misidentified.

Castro also asked Nielsen about whether children in HHS care had become sick or died. Nielsen responded: “Not to my knowledge,” according to Castro.

Nielsen also said she would look into appointing guardians for the separated children whose parents were deported and who would eventually get placed into foster care.

“After all that insult and injury, we are seeing Americans stand up,” said U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois, at the press conference. “That gives me great hope, even in this dark hour when our government is letting us down.”

“It’s inconceivable they’ll be able to reunite the remaining children by the deadline.” U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio