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Wednesday’s filing is the first under the Biden administration, which is now responsible for the reunification of families separated at the US-Mexico border as a result of former President Donald Trump’s controversial “zero tolerance” immigration policy.
The new administration has taken a markedly different tone in talking about the Trump-era policy, which called for the criminal prosecutions of every adult illegally crossing the border and, as a result, led to the separation of thousands of families.
Biden called the policy a “stain” on the country’s reputation during the signing of the executive order setting up the task force. “By the grace of God and goodwill of the neighbors, we’ll reunite these children and reestablish our reputation as being a haven for people in need,” he said at the time.
“I am a father. I am a husband. I am a son. I am a brother. I have not heard before a pain as acute and heartbreaking as that, and it is our commitment to make sure that pain is not felt again,” he told CNN.
“Our responsibility is to reunite the families and to support and facilitate their healing,” Mayorkas said, adding that that could include health care and using authorities in the immigration system.
Wednesday’s filing nods to the task force and its efforts. “Defendants believe that the work of the Task Force will resolve many—if not all—outstanding issues in this litigation, and Defendants look forward to working with Plaintiffs with that goal in mind,” the filing reads, adding that discussions are ongoing to “develop more comprehensive plans regarding how it will move forward.”
The family separation case, Ms. L et al. vs. Immigration and Customs Enforcement et al., was initially prompted by the separation of a Congolese woman from her 7-year-old daughter. The American Civil Liberties Union filed the case in 2018 and it was later expanded to a class action lawsuit.
US District Judge Dana Sabraw issued a…
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