At this point 173 children kidnapped from the arms of asylum seekers at the southern border continue to remain in U.S. custody, according to a recent court filing, with more than 100 of them the children of parents who have already been deported and have said, for varying reasons, that they do not wish to reunify with their child. Family separation remains a crisis.
Of this overall group of children, 102 have parents “presently departed from the United States whose intent not to reunify has been confirmed by the ACLU.” But many parents have said they “were coerced into signing deportation forms after being falsely told by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers that it was the only way to reunite with their children.”
Another 33 kids continue to remain separated because officials claim their parent is “unfit or presents a danger to the child.” Advocates have fought for transparency when it comes to how the government determines this, and for good reason: immigration officials make things up. Without presenting any evidence to justify their action, officials recently separated an asylum seeker and his son, claiming the dad, who was escaping gang violence, is a gang member himself.
Another eight of the children are “not ‘eligible’ to reunite,” with the court filing stating that for four of those parents, the “Steering Committee has advised that resolution will be delayed.” This could mean anything, but considering those parents were already deported, it most likely means the government has no idea where those parents currently are.
In some instances, ACLU leaders have had to do the job of incompetent Trump officials and navigate “treacherous roads, distrustful communities and remote villages” to try to locate parents that Trump officials carelessly deported. “Resolution will be delayed.” Really, a much less harsh way of saying, “permanent separation.” Today, Monday, Dec. 10, marks 137 days since a federal judge’s reunification deadline. Family separation remains a crisis.