Separated families will be reunited eventually: US

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is releasing its plan for putting back together the thousands of families it separated at the border -- but the reunions won't happen quickly, reports CNN.

In a release Saturday night, the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services said 2,053 children were still in the custody of HHS and awaiting being returned to their parents.

Under the plan, however, those children will keep waiting in custody, with reunifications only happening once the parents' deportation proceedings are completed. The families will either be reunited before deportation or, if the parent is released from detention, after the parent applies to serve as the child's sponsor under HHS rules.

As part of the reunification effort, the government is building out better organized databases linking the parent and children's information and whereabouts and working to better facilitate communication between them, the fact sheet said.

The guidance came days after President Donald Trump abruptly reversed course on his administration's decision to refer all adults caught crossing the border illegally for prosecution, including those with children -- a decision that resulted in more 2,500 children being taken away from their parents in the almost two months it was in place.

DHS said that 522 had been reunited since the policy began, with 16 more reunions in process delayed due to weather.

Trump admin says 500 families reunified, but thousands unaccounted for

But Trump's executive order on Wednesday telling his administration to keep families together only added to the confusion at first -- as the order seemed impossible to actually put in place. In the wake of the order, guidance obtained by CNN showed that the US Border Patrol would stop referring parents for prosecution until further notice.

 

Separated families will be reunited eventually: US

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is releasing its plan for putting back together the thousands of families it separated at the border -- but the reunions wont happen quickly, reports CNN. In a release Saturday night, the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services said 2,053 children were still in the custody of HHS and awaiting being returned to their parents. Under the plan, however, those children will keep waiting in custody, with reunifications only happening once the parents deportation proceedings are completed. The families will either be reunited before deportation or, if the parent is released from detention, after the parent applies to serve as the childs sponsor under HHS rules. As part of the reunification effort, the government is building out better organized databases linking the parent and childrens information and whereabouts and working to better facilitate communication between them, the fact sheet said. The guidance came days after President Donald Trump abruptly reversed course on his administrations decision to refer all adults caught crossing the border illegally for prosecution, including those with children -- a decision that resulted in more 2,500 children being taken away from their parents in the almost two months it was in place. DHS said that 522 had been reunited since the policy began, with 16 more reunions in process delayed due to weather. Trump admin says 500 families reunified, but thousands unaccounted for But Trumps executive order on Wednesday telling his administration to keep families together only added to the confusion at first -- as the order seemed impossible to actually put in place. In the wake of the order, guidance obtained by CNN showed that the US Border Patrol would stop referring parents for prosecution until further notice.