Trump Admin Tells Court They Have Only Returned 2 Out Of 102 Immigrant Kids Under 5 Years Old

Source: Talking Points Memo

By Alice Ollstein | July 9, 2018 2:28 pm

Lawyers for the Trump administration appeared once again in a courtroom in San Diego to ask a federal judge to push back his deadline for the reunification of children under five years old who were taken from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border. Once again, Southern District of California Judge Dana Sabraw held off on giving them an extension, and is instead demanding that they come back to court on Tuesday to explain how many families were reunited, why the government failed reunite the rest by the deadline, and how much more time it will need for those cases. “I am encouraged by the progress,” Judge Sabraw said. “I’m optimistic that many of these families will be reunited by tomorrow.”

Justice Department attorney Sarah Fabien said that while only two children out of the 102 the government has identified have been reunited so far, she believes another 54 can be returned to their parents by Tuesday’s deadline. As for the rest, she claimed, three were brought by someone who is not their biological parent, three have parents with serious criminal records that bar reunification, five have parents with something on their record that requires further investigation, 12 have parents either in local or federal criminal detention who must serve time before being transferred to ICE, 18 have parents who were lost by the administration after their deportation or release into the U.S., and four have been approved for release to a non-parent sponsor.

As for the last of the 102, Fabian said, “We’re still trying to track down what information we have about that parent. To my knowledge we do not have any information.”

At the Monday morning hearing, which reporters could listen to by phone, Judge Sabraw asked attorney Lee Gelernt of the American Civil Liberties Union, who is representing the thousands of separated families, if he believes the Trump administration is doing everything it can to comply with the June 26 court order demanding swift reunification.


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