Perspectives: Deadline Is Past, But Congress Needs To Ensure Trump’s Administration Reunites All Families
Opinion writers express views on the impact of the zero-tolerance immigration policy.
CNN:
Congress Should Force Trump To Fix Child Separation Outrage
July 26th was the court-mandated deadline for the administration to reunify children between the ages of 5 and 17 with their parents. But the Trump administration has failed to meet that deadline. According to the administration's own data, as many as 463 parents have already been deported. Those parents and their children may never be reunited. The media may have moved on to new crises over Russia or Iran, but this does not mean that this crisis has been solved. As the Congress, we must ensure the Trump administration reunites every single family that it has separated, and without further delay. (Rep. Rosa DeLauro, 7/26)
The Houston Chronicle:
Hold Trump Administration Accountable For Its Failure To Meet The Reunification Deadline
We’ve reached the court-ordered deadline for the Trump administration to reunify families separated under its zero-tolerance policy. Expect federal officials and government attorneys to argue that they have returned all “eligible” children to their parents. Expect them to reason that, by doing so, they met the deadline imposed by Southern District of California Judge Dana Sabraw. Don’t believe the hype. (7/27)
Los Angeles Times:
Why Did The Trump Administration Blow Its Family Reunification Deadline? Cruelty, Pure And Simple
The failure of the U.S. government to reverse the kidnapping of thousands of children from their parents has been chalked up to incompetence. People want to believe that this act of extraordinary cruelty — and the Trump administration’s inability to fix it — stems from our leaders’ lack of experience or common sense. But this too is a failure — of our collective imagination. The separation of children from their parents at the Southwest border is not simply a policy that has resulted in immeasurable harm, but a policy designed to inflict it. The government blew its Thursday deadline to reunite these families because it never intended to do so. (Brian Schatz, 7/27)
