
Families are released from detention at a bus depot in McAllen, Texas on June 22, 2018. (Photo: Loren Elliott/Reuters)
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Families are released from detention at a bus depot in McAllen, Texas on June 22, 2018. (Photo: Loren Elliott/Reuters)
While President Donald Trump and administration officials took to social media to celebrate the news that 12 Thai children and their soccer coach will be reunited with their families after being trapped in a cave for 18 days, the White House didn't even come close to meeting Tuesday's court-imposed deadline to reunite 102 children under the age of five with their parents after they were separated by Trump's cruel policies.
Federal judge Dana Sabraw--who issued the ruling that set the Tuesday deadline--asked the ACLU to "submit a proposal for possible punishment" against the Trump administration for failing to meet the target date.
Rebuffing White House requests, Sabraw also declined to extend the deadlines for reunification, declaring that they are "firm deadlines" not "aspirational goals."
Speaking to reporters just before his flight to Europe for the NATO summit, Trump blamed his administration's failure to meet the court's deadline on the detained families themselves, saying the "solution" to the crisis he created is "don't come to our country illegally."
\u201cThai Navy Seals: Reunited 12 children with their parents\n\nDonald Trump: Still unable to reunite ~50 children with their parents, with no tricky cave rescues required https://t.co/MogWZUxbBk\u201d— emptywheel (@emptywheel) 1531230118
According to court filings, the Trump administration had reunited just four families by Tuesday afternoon and is expected to reunite 34 more by the end of Tuesday.
"The Trump administration's failure to meet the court's deadline to reunite families separated at the border shows the administration's ongoing neglect and disregard for the wellbeing of immigrants," Javier Valdes, co-executive director of Make the Road New York, said in a statement. "We demand immediate reunification of these families, an end to the so-called 'zero tolerance' policy, and once and for all we must end family detention."
Noting that the Trump administration manufactured this disastrous situation with its inhumane policies in the first place, the ACLU vowed to keep up the pressure until all families separated by the White House's cruel policies are unified.
\u201c\ud83d\udce3 The Trump administration created this crisis, and it's on them to reunite each and every child with their parents.\n\nWe won't let up the pressure until they do. #FamiliesBelongTogether\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1531242333
"The Trump administration was ordered to reunite more than 100 children with their parents by today," Rep. Pramila Jayapal noted in a tweet on Tuesday. "They've missed the deadline and must be held accountable."
In total, an estimated 3,000 children were separated from their parents as a result of Trump's so-called "zero tolerance" policy. Sabraw gave the Trump White House until Tuesday to reunite all children under the age of five with their parents, and ordered that the rest of the children must be unified with their parents by July 26.
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
While President Donald Trump and administration officials took to social media to celebrate the news that 12 Thai children and their soccer coach will be reunited with their families after being trapped in a cave for 18 days, the White House didn't even come close to meeting Tuesday's court-imposed deadline to reunite 102 children under the age of five with their parents after they were separated by Trump's cruel policies.
Federal judge Dana Sabraw--who issued the ruling that set the Tuesday deadline--asked the ACLU to "submit a proposal for possible punishment" against the Trump administration for failing to meet the target date.
Rebuffing White House requests, Sabraw also declined to extend the deadlines for reunification, declaring that they are "firm deadlines" not "aspirational goals."
Speaking to reporters just before his flight to Europe for the NATO summit, Trump blamed his administration's failure to meet the court's deadline on the detained families themselves, saying the "solution" to the crisis he created is "don't come to our country illegally."
\u201cThai Navy Seals: Reunited 12 children with their parents\n\nDonald Trump: Still unable to reunite ~50 children with their parents, with no tricky cave rescues required https://t.co/MogWZUxbBk\u201d— emptywheel (@emptywheel) 1531230118
According to court filings, the Trump administration had reunited just four families by Tuesday afternoon and is expected to reunite 34 more by the end of Tuesday.
"The Trump administration's failure to meet the court's deadline to reunite families separated at the border shows the administration's ongoing neglect and disregard for the wellbeing of immigrants," Javier Valdes, co-executive director of Make the Road New York, said in a statement. "We demand immediate reunification of these families, an end to the so-called 'zero tolerance' policy, and once and for all we must end family detention."
Noting that the Trump administration manufactured this disastrous situation with its inhumane policies in the first place, the ACLU vowed to keep up the pressure until all families separated by the White House's cruel policies are unified.
\u201c\ud83d\udce3 The Trump administration created this crisis, and it's on them to reunite each and every child with their parents.\n\nWe won't let up the pressure until they do. #FamiliesBelongTogether\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1531242333
"The Trump administration was ordered to reunite more than 100 children with their parents by today," Rep. Pramila Jayapal noted in a tweet on Tuesday. "They've missed the deadline and must be held accountable."
In total, an estimated 3,000 children were separated from their parents as a result of Trump's so-called "zero tolerance" policy. Sabraw gave the Trump White House until Tuesday to reunite all children under the age of five with their parents, and ordered that the rest of the children must be unified with their parents by July 26.
While President Donald Trump and administration officials took to social media to celebrate the news that 12 Thai children and their soccer coach will be reunited with their families after being trapped in a cave for 18 days, the White House didn't even come close to meeting Tuesday's court-imposed deadline to reunite 102 children under the age of five with their parents after they were separated by Trump's cruel policies.
Federal judge Dana Sabraw--who issued the ruling that set the Tuesday deadline--asked the ACLU to "submit a proposal for possible punishment" against the Trump administration for failing to meet the target date.
Rebuffing White House requests, Sabraw also declined to extend the deadlines for reunification, declaring that they are "firm deadlines" not "aspirational goals."
Speaking to reporters just before his flight to Europe for the NATO summit, Trump blamed his administration's failure to meet the court's deadline on the detained families themselves, saying the "solution" to the crisis he created is "don't come to our country illegally."
\u201cThai Navy Seals: Reunited 12 children with their parents\n\nDonald Trump: Still unable to reunite ~50 children with their parents, with no tricky cave rescues required https://t.co/MogWZUxbBk\u201d— emptywheel (@emptywheel) 1531230118
According to court filings, the Trump administration had reunited just four families by Tuesday afternoon and is expected to reunite 34 more by the end of Tuesday.
"The Trump administration's failure to meet the court's deadline to reunite families separated at the border shows the administration's ongoing neglect and disregard for the wellbeing of immigrants," Javier Valdes, co-executive director of Make the Road New York, said in a statement. "We demand immediate reunification of these families, an end to the so-called 'zero tolerance' policy, and once and for all we must end family detention."
Noting that the Trump administration manufactured this disastrous situation with its inhumane policies in the first place, the ACLU vowed to keep up the pressure until all families separated by the White House's cruel policies are unified.
\u201c\ud83d\udce3 The Trump administration created this crisis, and it's on them to reunite each and every child with their parents.\n\nWe won't let up the pressure until they do. #FamiliesBelongTogether\u201d— ACLU (@ACLU) 1531242333
"The Trump administration was ordered to reunite more than 100 children with their parents by today," Rep. Pramila Jayapal noted in a tweet on Tuesday. "They've missed the deadline and must be held accountable."
In total, an estimated 3,000 children were separated from their parents as a result of Trump's so-called "zero tolerance" policy. Sabraw gave the Trump White House until Tuesday to reunite all children under the age of five with their parents, and ordered that the rest of the children must be unified with their parents by July 26.