Kids Still in Cages as Trump Blows Reunification Deadline

July 26th, 2018

At least 1,300 families continue to be separated

NEW YORK, NY - Today, on the court ordered deadline for the Trump administration to reunite the thousands of families they separated at the southern border, at least 1,300 families remain in limbo. Several cases have been reported of parents being deported without their children, while some have been told that the government is unable to locate their children entirely.

Steven Choi, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition, issued the following statement:

“Trump created this crisis and then blew his own deadline. What we are witnessing is a complete neglect for the humanity of hundreds of children who continue to weep in cages built by this administration.”

Background:

On June 26th, a federal Judge in California ordered a stop to family separation at the southern border and that all families that had been separated be reunited. The court order specifically required federal officials to stop detaining parents apart from their minor children, absent a determination the parent is unfit or the parent declines reunification; reunify all parents with their minor children under the age of 5 within 14 days and reunify all parents with their minor children age 5 and older within 30 days.

In the past few weeks, the Department of Homeland Security has effectively brought the Southern Border to New York, transferring hundreds of migrants to a local jail outside Albany. In response, The Immigration Law Clinic at Albany Law School, the Legal Project of Albany, and the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) have launched the Detention Outreach Project to meet the legal needs of immigrants detained at Albany County Jail.

Despite assurances from ICE, at least 22 individuals at the jail have been separated from their family, including at least 10 from children who are minors.