Children still separated from migrant parents

Dozens of migrant children remain separated from their loved ones because of President Donald Trump’s family shattering “zero-tolerance” policy, the government acknowledged in a court filing Thursday.

As of Nov. 29, 173 children torn from their parents and relatives because of zero tolerance were still in federal custody, Justice Department lawyers said in a status update filed at Southern California’s U.S. District Court.

Eight of the minors are “not eligible” for reunification because their parents are either in federal custody or outside of the U.S., according to the government lawyers.

The lawyers said another 102 children have parents whose “intent” is “not to reunify;” 30 have parents who pose a “danger” to them, and 33 were not separated by the government.

Even though Trump rescinded zero tolerance in June amid outrage, the administration has struggled to reunify the separated kids with their families. U.S. District Court Judge Dana Sabraw had ordered the government to reunite all migrant families affected by zero tolerance by July 26. The government failed to meet the deadline.

In fact, the government actually has separated 81 migrant children from their families at the U.S.Mexico border since the executive order that stopped the general practice. Immigration officials still are allowed to separate a child from a parent in certain cases — serious criminal charges against a parent, concerns over the health and welfare of a child or medical concerns.

The American Civil Liberties Union hinted in Thursday’s status update that it would like to see Sabraw punish the administration over the latest delay.

More than 2,400 children were torn from their families before Trump begrudgingly ended the practice.