While only 4 families separated by the Trump admin. will be reunited this week, lawyers representing other families say they are “hopeful” that soon 1,000+ will be on the path to reunification and living with their children permanently in the US.
“The ACLU is in settlement negotiations with the Biden administration to provide full relief to the thousands of separated families, not just reunification in the U.S. but permanent status, compensation and social services,” Gelernt told NBC News.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, where Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas heads the task force for reunifying families, said the task force is developing a system to provide “stability” for separated families.
The DHS spokesperson did not address whether the Biden administration’s system for providing “stability” would incorporate any of these specific measures. As a matter of policy, government agencies do not typically comment on the specifics of pending litigation.