May 20, 2021 - Politics & Policy
Parents of 391 children separated under Trump border policy yet to be found
Rebecca Falconer
A migrant girl looks at asylum seekers entering the United States at the San Ysidro crossing port in Tijuana, Baja California State, Mexico, on May 1. Photo: Guillermo Arias/AFP via Getty Images
Attorneys working to reunite migrant families separated under the Trump administration are still seeking to reach the parents of 391 migrant children, according to a federal court filing Wednesday.
The big picture: President Biden has pledged to reunite separated families, but progress has been slow.
Officials have found the parents of 54 children since April, per the filing from from the Justice Department and the American Civil Liberties Union.
What they're saying: ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt said in an emailed statement that officials were "making steady progress finding families," but added "there is obviously still a long way to go."
"We are hopeful we will find every last family and that the pace will pick up as more on-the-ground searches are now possible given the availability of the vaccine," Lee Gelernt said.
"Additionally, we believe parents will come forward in greater numbers as they learn that the current president has offered to help them reunite with their children."