Federal Judge Blocks Family Separation at Border for Eight Years

Settlement Provides Benefits for Separated Families, Trump Noncommittal on Policy's Future

U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw has approved a settlement that will prohibit the separation of migrant families at the U.S. southern border for at least eight years. The settlement is between the United States Justice Department and families represented by the American Civil Liberties Union.
The settlement also provides benefits for families that had previously been separated, including temporary legal status for up to three years under a policy called “humanitarian parole,” family reunification at the expense of the U.S. government, a year of housing, three years of counseling, and legal aid for immigration court.
Under the settlement, the type of “zero-tolerance” policy under which the Trump administration separated more than 5,000 children from parents who were arrested for illegally entering the country would be prohibited until December 2031.
Children may still be separated but under limited circumstances, as has been the case for years. They include if the child is believed to be abused, if the parent is convicted of serious crimes or if there are doubts that the adult is the parent.
Former President Donald Trump, who is campaigning for the 2024 Republican nomination for president, has praised his administration’s zero-tolerance policy and has not ruled out attempting to restore that policy, if elected.