Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas claimed the United States managed to reunite 500 families separated at the US southern border under Trump’s presidency.
While Democrats try to celebrate illegal immigration, the open border policy of the Biden administration is creating havoc across America; illegal border crossings exceeded two million in the current fiscal year.
Biden Admin Celebrating Illegal Immigration
According to Alejandro Mayorkas, the Biden administration has worked tirelessly to unite 500 families who were separated during the Trump administration.
Mayorkas also appreciated all public servants of the federal government who worked hard to reunite the families.
Likewise, Mayorkas noted achieving this milestone was not possible without the assistance of non-governmental organizations, which played a critical role in helping the separated families.
Different international organizations, including the UN Refugee Agency and International Organization for Migrants, also helped the Biden administration in its family reunification efforts.
In 2018, Trump implemented his “zero tolerance” border policy to reduce illegal immigration at the southern border.
While adult immigrants were housed in detention centers, minors were not allowed to be put in those centers, as they were specifically made for adults. Eventually, many adults were deported while their children remained in America.
Biden administration has reunited 500 families separated under Trump https://t.co/BfIXEACdE1
— Nancy Sinatra (@NancySinatra) October 8, 2022
Trump’s policy was to create a deterrence against illegal immigration.
However, Biden pledged to reunite the families after taking over the presidency and created a Family Reunification Task Force to bring the previously deported adults back to America.
In July, the task force identified 3,850 children would be eligible for the reunification program of the federal government. Since then, the government tried to reach almost 150 eligible families, which are yet to respond.
Furthermore, Mayorkas added 200 more minors are currently in the process of going back to their families.
NEW: The Biden-Harris Administration’s Family Reunification Task Force has successfully reunited more than 500 children with their families who were separated under the prior administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy.
Read the full statement from @SecMayorkas ⬇️ https://t.co/rB2pk8iGMr
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) October 7, 2022
Family Reunification Task Force to Continue Its Work
Mayorkas insisted the Family Reunification Task Force would continue to reunite broken families. He stated the task force would keep on identifying and engaging with families who were separated at the border.
Separated families would also be able to get medical assistance to counter the trauma they suffered during the Trump administration, Mayorkas added.
Under Biden’s policy, eligible adults, who were separated from their children, were allowed to bring their relatives to America under the humanitarian parole program.
The federal government sponsored their travel; they were allowed to live and work in America for three years. After three years, the families will be eligible to renew their residential status in the United States.
Meanwhile, a lawsuit against Trump’s zero-tolerance policy is already underway as separated illegal immigrants sued the US over the policy.
Previously, the Biden administration reached a settlement with the separated families and announced giving up to $450,000 per separated person to affected families. However, Republicans opposed the policy, which forced the Biden administration to reverse the settlement.
