McAllen, Texas – McAllen, Texas (AP) –
Two defense groups filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday asking the courts to stop the new Trump administration investigation procedures to bring together children who crossed the United States without their parents, saying that the changes keep families separated for longer and are inhuman.
The lawsuit was filed by the National Center for Youth Law and Democracy in the Federal Court in the Columbia district. He appoints the US Department of Health and Services. UU. And its refugee resettlement office and seeks a return to previous reunification procedures.
Critics point out that government data show that the average time that children are detained before the release of the refugee resettlement office to their sponsors grew 37 days in January to more than 112 days in March.
In February, the Trump administration changed the way in which it reviews the sponsors who wish to take care of migrant children in government custody, whether parents or relatives of minors, or others. More changes followed in March and April when the government began to require identification or proof of income than only those legally present in the United States could acquire. The defenders of the affected families are asking a judge to declare the illegal changes and return the agency to the policies in force before that.
“The Government has dramatically increased the burden of families in a way that deeply undermines the safety of children. These policy changes are part of a broader unbridled of a bipartisan commitment and decades of supporting the best interests of unaccompanied children,” said Neha Desai, managing director of the National Law of Youth Law.
The lawyers said they had heard of families that were away from receiving their children when the rules changed abruptly. Now, many say they are waiting indefinitely.
“The administration has reversed years of children’s welfare protections and replaced them with fear, prolonged arrest and bureaucratic cruelty,” said Skye Perryman, president of Democracy in a statement.
A Mexican woman who spoke with Associated Press about the condition of anonymity for fear of deportation said she and her 8 -year -old son were taken to believe repeatedly that they would meet, just to discover that the new policy changes would derail their plans.
The mother, who came first through the border from Mexico, noticed that her son lost hope in the last 11 months, even refusing to unpack after the last time she thought that her release from a refuge administered by the government was imminent.
“He has seen so many children who have come, leave, and it has been left behind,” said the mother, who was not part of the demand.
The Trump administration says that the scrutiny of parents and other sponsors is increasing before giving them the custody of their children who have crossed the border as unaccompanied minors.
The HHS did not immediately respond to the emails of AP seeking comments in response to the demand filed on Thursday afternoon.
Similar restrictions were imposed in 2018 under the first presidency of Trump during the launch of a zero tolerance policy that separated families and required digital footprints for all members of a home who received a child. The administration reducing the requirements After custody the times increased.
____
This story has been updated to correct that the Department of National Security was not appointed in the demand as indicated above.
