Migrant Families Separated By U.S. Government File Claims For Millions In Damages
Eight separated families submitted claims to the departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, saying that their children were traumatized by the experience. Stanton Jones, a lawyer for the families, said, “The government was harming children intentionally to try to advance what it viewed as a policy objective. It’s heinous and immoral, but it’s also a civil wrong for which the law provides a claim for relief.” In related news, 70 detainees condemn the conditions at a California detention center.
The Associated Press:
Separated Migrant Families Demand Millions From US Agencies
Eight immigrant families who were separated under Trump administration policy filed claims Monday seeking millions of dollars in damages for what a lawyer called "inexplicable cruelty" that did lasting damage to parents and children. The parents accused immigration officers of taking their children away without giving them information and sometimes mocking them or denying them a chance to say goodbye. (Merchant, 2/11)
Arizona Republic:
Border Separations: Migrant Families File Claims Against Trump Administration
The Trump administration was hit with a legal claim on Monday from six migrant families seeking millions of dollars in compensation for the trauma they say they continue to endure after border officers forcibly took away their children and sent them to live in shelters in other states under a zero-tolerance policy. The six families are individually seeking $6 million — $3 million for each mother and $3 million for each child — for a total of $36 million, according to the legal claims filed on their behalf by a group of immigration advocacy organizations and law firms. (Gonzalez, 2/11)
Los Angeles Times:
More Than 70 Detainees Condemn Conditions At San Diego Immigration Facility
More than 70 people being held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center while they wait for immigration court hearings have signed a letter decrying conditions at the facility. The letter, written in December, alleges that detainees have experienced medical neglect, safety issues, and racism and discrimination, according to Freedom for Immigrants, the group to whom the letter was addressed. The detainees also said their complaints were not being heard at the facility. (Morrissey, 2/11)
