Judge Criticizes Trump Administration’s Family Separation Policy
In a scathing rebuke of the Trump administration’s family separation policy, U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw expressed horror and dismay over the implementation of the policy from 2017 to 2018. The judge, who is overseeing a class-action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), recalled his earlier order describing the practice as “brutal, offensive, and failing to comply with traditional notions of fair play and decency.”
Sabraw also referred to a court filing in 2018 that revealed how many parents were deported without knowing the whereabouts of their children, which he described as “simply cruel.”
The government and volunteers are still unable to locate 68 children who were separated under the policy, according to the ACLU. Sabraw expressed deep concern about the unaccounted children, calling it “always my greatest fear and concern.”
Under the terms of a settlement reached in the lawsuit, the “zero-tolerance” policy that led to the separation of over 5,000 children from their parents would be prohibited until December 2031. However, limited circumstances for separating children from their parents still apply, including cases of suspected abuse, parental conviction of serious crimes, or doubts about the parental relationship.
Families that were separated may be eligible for benefits such as legal status for up to three years, reunification in the United States at government expense, housing assistance, counseling, and legal aid in immigration court. However, the settlement does not provide monetary compensation to the affected families.
The Trump administration has been noncommittal about the possibility of resuming family separations, with former President Trump claiming in an interview that the policy “stopped people from coming by the hundreds of thousands.”
In response to the ruling, the Department of Homeland Security referred to an earlier statement by Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, stating that the settlement reflects efforts to address a “cruel and inhumane policy.”
ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt described the judge’s comments as encapsulating the tragic episode in the country’s history, while the Trump campaign did not immediately respond to the ruling.
The judge’s remarks highlight the ongoing impact and controversy surrounding the Trump administration’s family separation policy and the efforts to address its aftermath.