Of more than 100 detained, the Trump administration has only reunited 4 immigrant toddlers with their parents


The Trump administration has reunited just four of the 102 migrant children age 5 or younger who were supposed to be back with their families by Tuesday, court documents show. Another 50 are expected to be reunified today.
Officials were given the chance to miss the previously imposed Tuesday deadline, with a federal judge requesting a proposed timeline for when each family could be reunited. In the submitted documents explaining the status of the migrant children who were separated from their parents upon arriving in the U.S. under the "zero tolerance" immigration policy, the administration explains that there are a wide range of cases.
The documents show that 26 children have been determined "not eligible for reunification," citing reasons like parents with "serious criminal history" or parents who are being detained in criminal custody. In one case, the government still doesn't know where the child's parent is, writing that "records show the parent and child might be U.S. citizens."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Fifty-one of the 102 cases are classified as "likely eligible for reunification," but the Department of Justice won't make the deadline because the parents are in immigration detention. Another 12 cases won't meet the deadline because the parents were "removed" from the U.S., and the government needs to contact them to "determine whether they wish to have their child reunified with them in their home country."
The judge reportedly agreed with the government's evaluation that children whose parents had criminal convictions wouldn't be subject to Tuesday's deadline, but said he intends to uphold the deadline "on most of the individuals."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies
-
YouTube to pay Trump $22M over Jan. 6 expulsion
Speed Read The president accused the company of censorship following the suspension of accounts post-Capitol riot
-
Oregon sues to stop Trump military deployment
Speed Read The president wants to send the National Guard into Portland