Trump Administration Missed Deadline to Reunite Children Under the Age of 5

On June 26, San Diego District Court Judge Dana Sabraw ruled that the Trump administration has 30 days to reunite the migrant children who have been separated from their parents and 14 days to reunite children under the age of 5. Although Trump has also signed an executive order to keep families together, that deadline to reunite children under the age of 5 with their parents was July 10, and the federal government have failed. The failure to meet that deadline was predictable as the administration has repeatedly tried to extend the deadline as it was clear from the beginning that the government had no plans or methods for reuniting families.

Now it is also reported that not only is family reunion not a priority, the government is also making it as hard as possible for parents to find their children. Government officials have told at least four immigrant women that in order to get their children back, they will have to purchase their own DNA tests to prove that they are related. The DNA tests reportedly costs between $700 and $800. Family members in the U.S. have also been met with high fees in the thousands in order to sponsor detained children and fly them to another state. This failure to meet the deadline came after Judge Gee ruled that the government’s attempt to detain children with their parents indefinitely was unlawful. It is unclear at this time what this failure to meet the deadline will result in and how it will affect the thousands of children who are still separated from their parents. To learn more about the current asylum program, please click here. To learn more about other forms of humanitarian relief, please click here.