Federal public defenders are accusing US immigration enforcement officials of misleading immigrant parents in the whereabouts of their children. Many of these people are entering the U.S. seeking shelter from their native countries and are being met by officials who tell them that they’re taking their children away for a bath or other reasons, however they never return to them. At least 1,300 children have been separated from their families.
Miguel Nogueres is a federal public defender in McAllen, Texas and says he’s noticed a sharp increase in these cases ever since #DonaldTrump became president. He’s been trying to figure out just how many children have been separated from their families, but new immigration policies that have allowed federal agents to separate families has made it more difficult.
“Every day we hear that parents are being separated from their children and are given different reasons for the separation. Some are told the truth,” Nogueres told @TheIndependent. “Others are told that they’re children are being taken for a break to play, or bathe, or sleep, … little white lies to ameliorate an exploding situation. The parents will realize they were lied to when they meet us before court.”
Nogueres said that the cases used to target those with criminal backgrounds, but now it’s the total opposite.
Via The Independent:
A spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said, when contacted for comment, that the agency is committed to ensuring the parents are able to get in touch with their children, and to find out where their children are located.
“ICE is committed to connecting these family members as quickly as possible after separation so that parents know the location of their children and have regular communication with them in line with ICE policies and detention standards, including the directive Detention and Removal of Alien Parents or Legal Guardians,” Danielle Bennett, the spokesperson, said in a statement.
“ICE will post new information in all of our 72-hour facilities advising detained parents who are trying to locate, and/or communicate with, a child in the custody of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to call the Detention Reporting and Information Line (DRIL) for assistance,” Ms Bennett continued, noting an effort to inform inmates that began last week. “Separated parents who are still in US Marshals Service custody and have not yet been transferred to ICE can also call the DRIL for assistance in locating their minor child. The information provided by these parents to the DRIL operators will be forwarded to ORR for action. ICE and ORR will work together to locate separated children, verify the parent/child relationship, and set up regular communication and removal coordination, if necessary.”
What are your thoughts, Roommates?
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