U.S. judge criticizes plan to reunify families split at border
SAN DIEGO — A federal judge, responding to a plan to reunify children separated at the border as part of a zero-tolerance policy launched in May, said he was having second thoughts about his belief that the Trump administration was acting in good faith to comply with his orders.
The Justice Department on Friday filed a plan to reunify more than 2,500 children age 5 and older by a court-imposed deadline of July 26 using “truncated” procedures to verify parentage and perform background checks, which exclude DNA testing and other steps it took to reunify children under 5.
The administration said the abbreviated vetting puts children at significant safety risk but is needed to meet the deadline.
Chris Meekins, deputy assistant Health and Human Services secretary for preparedness and response, filed a declaration that he is fully committed to meeting the deadline. However, he does not believe “the placing of children into such situations is consistent with the mission of HHS or my core values.”
U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw took umbrage at Mr. Meekins’ statement, disputing the official’s interpretation of his orders and saying that safe reunification could andwill occur by July 26.
“It is clear from Mr. Meekins’s declaration that HHS either does not understand the court’s orders or is acting in defiance of them,” the judge wrote late Friday. “At a minimum, it appears he is attempting to provide cover to defendants for their own conduct in the practice of family separation, and the lack of foresight and infrastructure necessary to remedy the harms caused by that practice.”
Judge Sabraw, a Bush appointee, said Mr. Meekins’ statement calls into question his comments in court hours earlier that the administration was acting in good faith.
Judge Sabraw said in court Friday that the administration had largely complied with orders but he indicated he will be monitoring its actions.
The judge said the administration must provide a list of names of parents in immigration custody and their children by Monday and complete background checks for them by Thursday. He scheduled four hearings over the next two weeks for updates, including one on Monday.