Azar Blames ‘Broken Immigration System’ As HHS Struggles To Meet Court-Ordered Deadline For Reuniting Families
HHS Secretary Alex Azar says there have been obstacles to meeting the deadline on returning young children to their parents, but the agency is using DNA to help match the families.
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump Administration Says It Is Working To Reunite Families By Court Deadline
The Trump administration, in a race to comply with a court order to reunite up to 3,000 children with adult family members who crossed the border illegally, said Thursday it is encountering significant logistical hurdles. The federal government has until Tuesday to reunite children younger than 5 years old with their parents, under a court order issued last week by U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw in San Diego. Older minors must be reconnected with their parents by July 26, the federal judge ruled. (Radnofsky and Campo-Flores, 7/5)
Modern Healthcare:
HHS Faces Tight Deadline To Reunite Migrant Kids With Parents
The complications could mount once HHS transfers the kids to their parents' detention centers and as the furor and litigation rage in the fallout of the Trump administration policy. In addition to the lawsuit that led to the recent court order—originally filed in February by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a Congolese immigrant family—17 Democratic attorneys general have lodged a separate lawsuit that names Azar, HHS, ORR and other departments and administration officials as defendants. (Luthi, 7/5)
The Hill:
HHS Working To Identify Children Separated From Families At Border
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says it is reviewing the cases of “under 3,000” children who may have been separated from their parents or families at the U.S. border. HHS officials are trying to whittle that number down further to identify the children who were actually separated from their parents by the U.S. government — as opposed to other circumstances before they came to the U.S. — ahead of a court-imposed deadline to reunite children with their families. (Hellmann, 7/5)
The Hill:
HHS: About 100 Children Under 5 To Be Reunited With Parents Next Week
About 100 children under the age of 5 will be reunited with their families next week after getting separated by authorities at the U.S. border, officials said Thursday. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must reunite the children under 5 by Tuesday to comply with a court order handed down last month. (Hellmann, 7/5)
The Hill:
HHS Using DNA Testing In Order To Reunite Migrant Families 'Faster'
The Trump administration is conducting DNA tests to reunite children separated from their parents at the border. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said Thursday that the agency is using the "faster" and more accurate method in order to comply with a court order to reunite children aged 4 and under with families by July 10, and children aged 5 to 17 by July 26. (Hellmann, 7/5)
