May 20, 2021 - Politics & Policy
Parents of 391 children separated under Trump border policy yet to be found
A migrant girl looks at asylum seekers entering the United States at the San Ysidro crossing port in Tijuana, Baja California State, Mexico, on May 1. Photo: Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images
Attorneys working to reunite migrant families separated under the Trump administration are still seeking to reach the parents of 391 migrant children, according to a federal court filing Wednesday.
The big picture: President Biden has pledged to reunite separated families, but progress has been slow.
- Officials have found the parents of 54 children since April, per the filing from from the Justice Department and the American Civil Liberties Union.
What they're saying: ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt said in an emailed statement that officials were "making steady progress finding families," but added "there is obviously still a long way to go."
- "We are hopeful we will find every last family and that the pace will pick up as more on-the-ground searches are now possible given the availability of the vaccine," Lee Gelernt said.
- "Additionally, we believe parents will come forward in greater numbers as they learn that the current president has offered to help them reunite with their children."