DOJ reaches settlement in Trump-era border separation case
The Biden administration reached a settlement Monday in a major class action lawsuit brought by migrants separated at the U.S.-Mexico border under former President Trump.
Why it matters: The settlement announcement comes more than five years after Trump's most infamous border policy was implemented — and as officials still work to identify and reunify families who remain separated.
The details: If approved by a judge, the settlement will limit when immigration officials are allowed to separate migrant minors from their parents or legal guardians for eight years.
It will also enable the federal government to continue its efforts to find and reunite families who were separated under the Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" policy, including reuniting certain family members not directly impacted by the separation process.
The government will also provide non-monetary assistance for migrants' health care, housing and legal needs — including allowing them an expedited asylum process, as well as the opportunity to receive parole in the U.S.
What they're saying: "The practice of separating families at the southwest border was shameful," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. "This agreement will facilitate the reunification of separated families and provide them with critical services to aid in their recovery."
"Although no settlement can ever erase this tragic episode, the settlement is a critical step forward to help the thousands of families that were so brutally separated by the Trump administration," Lee Gelernt, lead counsel for the ACLU, which brought the case, said in a statement to Axios.
"The settlement will allow these little children to finally see their parents after years of separation and permit the families to seek permanent status in the U.S. through a special asylum process. It will also prohibit such a cruel policy in the future," Gelernt added.
SAUCE: https://www.axios.com/2023/10/16/trump-border-separation-biden-settlement