Immigrants Report Losing Contact with Kids after Separation at US-Mexico Border
Local Editor
Immigrant parents separated from their children at the US-Mexico border due to the Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy still have no way of communicating with their children during detainment; some are currently still waiting to hear of their whereabouts.
The Trump administration came under intense criticism for its "zero-tolerance" immigration policy after recent images from a detention center in Texas showed children locked up in cages.
As a result of the policy, nearly 2,000 immigrant children were forcibly separated from their parents between April 19 and May 31 following arrests in connection with illegal entry into the United States, according to the US Department of Homeland Security [DHS].
The US Department of Health and Human Services had earlier said parents and children were in constant contact through some form of communication during their separation.
The Annunciation House took in this group of immigrants on Sunday to aid them with the reunification process.
Of 32 parents, only three have spoken to their child since they were separated, the group's legal coordinator Taylor Levy said, adding that the average time the parents spent 25 days in detention.
Although the parents were released from immigration custody, they all have ankle bracelets so the US government may keep track of them as they await court dates to continue to pursue their asylum claim.
On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order purportedly designed to prevent the separation of children from parents who are apprehended for illegal border crossings.
On Saturday, the US Customs and Border Protection said the agency reunited 522 migrant children with their parents.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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