In a new ruling, Judge Dana Sabraw has given the federal government six months to locate children separated from their families at the border under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy. Though many of the more than 2000 children the government took from their families have since been reunited pursuant to a June 2018 court order, reports indicate that there may be thousands more children that are currently unaccounted for.
The Trump administration had originally asked for two years to find those additional children, but the court declined that request, instead imposing the six-month deadline, which is subject to modification upon a showing of good cause. The case at issue is pending in federal court in San Diego, and was brought by the ACLU on behalf of families that have been separated at the border.
Additional Reading
Court Orders Administration To Identify Separated Migrant Children Within Six Months, NPR, April 26, 2019
Order, Ms. L v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement et al, April 25, 2019
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