ACLU Seeks Remedies For Trump Administration’s Failure to Meet Family Reunification Deadline

July 12, 2018 6:45 pm


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SAN DIEGO — Given the Trump administration’s failure to comply with the July 10 reunification deadline for children under 5, the American Civil Liberties Union today asked a federal court to order the government to:

  • Hand over detailed data about all remaining children who need to be reunited with their parents.
  • Create a fund to pay for professional mental health counseling to treat children who are suffering from severe trauma as a result of the forcible separation from their parents.
  • Reimburse families for reunification travel costs and/or DNA testing.
  • Adhere to an even stricter regimen of progress reports with the court.

The ACLU won a June 26 preliminary injunction requiring reunification of children under 5 within 14 days (July 10), and all children within 30 days (July 26).

U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw will hold a status conference tomorrow at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET.

Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, said:

“There is no excuse for the Trump administration’s missed deadline. Children are suffering because of it. The government must get these families back together.”

The filing is here: https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/ms-l-v-ice-joint-status-report

Case details are here: https://www.aclu.org/cases/ms-l-v-ice

SAN DIEGO — Given the Trump administration’s failure to comply with the July 10 reunification deadline for children under 5, the American Civil Liberties Union today asked a federal court to order the government to:

  • Hand over detailed data about all remaining children who need to be reunited with their parents.
  • Create a fund to pay for professional mental health counseling to treat children who are suffering from severe trauma as a result of the forcible separation from their parents.
  • Reimburse families for reunification travel costs and/or DNA testing.
  • Adhere to an even stricter regimen of progress reports with the court.

The ACLU won a June 26 preliminary injunction requiring reunification of children under 5 within 14 days (July 10), and all children within 30 days (July 26).

U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw will hold a status conference tomorrow at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET.

Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project, said:

“There is no excuse for the Trump administration’s missed deadline. Children are suffering because of it. The government must get these families back together.”

The filing is here: https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/ms-l-v-ice-joint-status-report

Case details are here: https://www.aclu.org/cases/ms-l-v-ice


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