In its pending class action on behalf of separated immigrant families, the ACLU has filed a proposal that would require the Trump administration to reunify the families it has separated under its “zero tolerance” immigration enforcement policy within a month. The proposal would also require reunification within 10 days for children younger than 5; phone contact between parents and children within 7 days; a halt on separations unless there is clear evidence of danger to the child; and a prohibition on deporting parents without their children unless the parent knowingly and voluntarily waives the right to reunification before deportation.
The ACLU filed its lawsuit earlier this year seeking to curtail the government’s ability to separate immigrant families. The case took on additional urgency when the Trump administration rolled out its “zero-tolerance” policy of criminally prosecuting immigrants crossing the border illegally, and as a part of that policy separated over 2,300 children from parents who were taken into custody this spring. The judge presiding over the case gave the Department of Justice until 9am on June 26 to respond to the ACLU’s proposal, leading observers to predict a ruling sometime this week.
Additional Reading
ACLU Urges Government to Reunite Immigrant Families Within a Month, KQED News, June 25, 2018
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