Jun 19, 2018 - Politics & Policy

New York to sue Trump administration over child separation policy

Close ups of New York Gov Andrew Cuomo on left, Donald Trump on right

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (L), and President Trump. Photos: Drew Angerer, Win McNamee via Getty Images

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that the state intends to file a "multi-agency lawsuit" against the Trump administration "for violating the Constitutional rights of immigrant children and their families who have been separated at the border."

Why it matters: Despite the intense backlash to the policy, this is the first indication of a lawsuit intended to force the administration's hand in ending what Cuomo calls "a moral failing and a human tragedy." The governor adds that the goal of the suit is to "protect the health and well-being" of children identified as being held in federal facilities across the state.

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