Judge to decide if Trump administration in contempt for not re-uniting children
Hundreds of families the US government broke up have not been re-united, despite a deadline of 10pm GMT on Thursday; more than 700 children are still in custody
Los Angeles — A US federal judge will hold a hearing on Friday on whether the Trump administration is in contempt of court over a now-elapsed deadline for re-uniting migrant children taken from their parents at the Mexican border. The government said on Thursday that hundreds of families it broke up have not been re-united. Ruling in the drama that triggered worldwide outrage over US President Donald Trump’s "zero tolerance" policy against undocumented migrants, judge Dana Sabraw had ordered that all eligible migrant families be brought back together by 10pm GMT on Thursday. Officials said in a court filing that 1,442 children aged five and older had been re-united with their parents. A further 378 children had already been released under other "appropriate circumstances", the filing said, but added that more than 700 children remained in custody. The government insisted the deadline had been met. It said the families of those 700-plus children were ineligible, either because family...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.