Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 17 July 2018

Judge temporarily halts deportation of reunified families

By ELLIOT SPAGAT and COL- cations. The families are
LEEN LONG scattered around the
SAN DIEGO (AP) — A fed- country, the adults at im-
eral judge on Monday or- migration detention cen-
dered a temporary halt to ters, the children at shelters
deportations of immigrant overseen by the govern-
families reunited after be- ment.
ing separated at the bor- Annunciation House, a
der, as the Trump admin- shelter in El Paso, said the
istration races to meet a government has begun
July 26 deadline for putting transporting children in a
more than 2,500 children "tremendous amount of air-
back in their parents' arms. line flights" to El Paso and
U.S. District Judge Dana elsewhere. Director Ruben
Sabraw imposed a delay Garcia said he is preparing
of at least a week after a to take in as many as 100
request from the Ameri- reunified families a day.
can Civil Liberties Union, Late last month, Sabraw
which cited "persistent and ordered the government
increasing rumors ... that to reunite the thousands of
mass deportations may be children and parents who
carried out imminently and were forcibly separated at
immediately upon reunifi- the border by the Trump
cation." administration this spring. In this July 13, 2018, file photo, Allison, 6, and her mother Cindy Madrid share a moment during a
news conference in Houston, where the mother and daughter spoke about the month and one
Justice Department attor- He set a deadline of July day they were separated under the President Donald Trump administration immigration policy.
ney Scott Stewart opposed 10 for children under 5 and Associated Press
the delay but did not ad- gave the government un-
dress the rumors in court. til July 26 to reunite 2,551 reunifications happen very, misrepresented his instruc- a long-running effort by
The ACLU requested that youngsters ages 5 to 17. very quickly." tions and showed "a very attorneys to have a court-
parents have at least one On Monday, the judge "I have every confidence grudging reluctance to do appointed monitor oversee
week to decide whether commended the govern- that you are the right per- things." the U.S. government's com-
to pursue asylum in the U.S. ment for a revised plan sub- son to do this," he told Sabraw said in court Mon- pliance with a decades-
after they are reunited with mitted over the weekend White. day that the initial plan was old settlement governing
their children. The judge to reunify the older chil- It was a sharp change from "exasperating," ''complete- the treatment of immigrant
held off on deciding that dren. The plan calls for DNA Friday, when the govern- ly unhelpful," and "written children caught on the bor-
issue until the government testing and other screening ment submitted a plan for in a manner that seemed der.
outlines its objections in measures if red flags are "truncated" vetting that wholly divorced from the Attorneys interviewed im-
writing by next Monday. raised during background excluded DNA testing and context of this case." migrant parents and chil-
ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt checks. other procedures used for "This is not hard stuff," he dren in June and July about
told reporters that he was Jonathan White of the Of- children under 5. The gov- said. "It's laborious, but it's their experiences in Border
"extremely pleased" by the fice of Refugee Resettle- ernment official said the not difficult to do." Patrol facilities, family de-
halt and that parents need ment, who is overseeing abbreviated vetting was Sabraw has scheduled tention and a youth shelter.
time to think over with the government's effort, as- necessary to meet the three more hearings over They described much of
their children and advisers sured the judge that some court-imposed deadline the next two weeks to en- the testimony as "shocking
whether to seek asylum. reunifications of older chil- but put children at signifi- sure compliance with his and atrocious."
"It's hard to imagine a more dren already occurred, cant risk. order. Also Monday, advo- Families described meals
profound or momentous and "it is our intent to re- Sabraw said late Friday cates said in federal court of frozen sandwiches and
decision," he said. unify children promptly." He that he was having second in Los Angeles that immi- spoiled food, overflowing
The hearing in San Diego went into detail on how the thoughts about his belief grant children in govern- toilets and guards yelling
occurred as the govern- process was working. that the government was ment custody are being at them and kicking them
ment accelerated reunifi- The judge praised White's acting in good faith. In a given poor food, kept in while they slept. Children
cations at eight unidenti- testimony, saying, "What is hastily arranged confer- unsanitary conditions and said they were hungry and
fied U.S. Immigration and in place is a great start to ence call, he told adminis- face insults and threats. scared when their parents
Customs Enforcement lo- making a large number of tration officials that its plan The allegations came amid were taken away.q