8/23/2018

BORDER/CHILDREN/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Lawyers for the U.S. government and families separated by border officials after they entered the United States from Mexico said 37 more children have been freed from federal custody in the last week, as both sides work out means to enable children to seek asylum. In a Thursday [8-23-18] court filing, the lawyers asked U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw in San Diego to let them try to work out disputed issues overnight, ahead of a scheduled Friday [8-24-18] afternoon hearing. Sabraw oversees the process for reuniting 2,551 children ages 5 to 17 with their parents. He has emphasized the need to move with ‘all due speed’ in reuniting families and addressing asylum issues, while avoiding premature deportations. The families had been separated under President Donald Trump’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy toward illegal immigrants. Trump ended that policy on June 20 after widespread global criticism. According to Thursday’s filing, 505 children ages 5 to 17 remain separated and under care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, down from 541 a week earlier. Another 23 under age 5 also remained in federal care, one fewer than a week earlier. More than 2,100 children have been discharged from federal custody, mainly through reunifications with their parents.”

Jonathan Stempel, “Progress reported in uniting migrant families separated by U.S.,” Reuters, August 23, 2018 4:55 pm