Every year Thousands of people try to reach the United States illegally, many of them are accompanied by their families. This represents a significant risk especially for minors, not only because of the roads they have to cross to get to the border, but because once there they could be separated, as has happened to thousands of children in recent years.
The family separation crisis began to get older after President Trump's administration, in 2018, decided intentionally separating thousands of migrant children from their parents as a measure to try to discourage the crossing of immigrants.
According to an article by The New York Times, bliss policy affected not only immigrant minors from other countries, but also children who have American nationality, since many immigrant parents who crossed illegally have been prosecuted and imprisoned. In this way, they leave the children without protection, according to lawyers and defenders who are working to reunite the families.
Official information indicates that Most children who are removed from their parents due to their immigration status are placed in foster care.. They usually stay there for a long time, there are even cases known to last up to five years. The problem is that, the more time passes, it becomes increasingly difficult to find the families.
Others Children are transferred to centers operated by the Federal Office of Refugee Resettlement where their data is entered into records and they are then allowed to contact their parents by telephone with the intention of reuniting families.
However, it is a challenge because official records are often scattered and incomplete, making it very difficult for authorities to identify parents and take them with their children.
A different case is that of the children trying to cross the border alone, In this situation, the Departments of Homeland Security have the responsibility to detain, process and, where appropriate, return minors to their country of origin if it is proven that they are not at risk of being victims of trafficking and can return safely.
Those who are not candidates for repatriation are placed in group homes. and foster care or other facilities to provide long-term child care. The facilities, which depend on federal funding, bring them educational, social, health and legal services. They can remain in this place until they are 18 years old if they cannot be safely returned to their parents or relatives, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
Although it is known that the government is working on a measure to compensate families that were separated, Injured parties are being invited to file lawsuits through groups and private attorneys.
What can parents who were separated from their children at the US border do?
Given the complicated situation, immigration authorities have been encouraging families to register on a website through which they can receive advice and have greater possibilities of being reunited. The Family Reunification Task Force or Operational Group for Family Reunion portal seeks to identify and reunite the families that were separated by the United States government between January 20, 2017 and January 20, 2021.
People who qualify to be part of this program will obtain benefits such as: permission to return to the United States; permission to live in the United States for three years, as a humanitarian measure; possibility of requesting a work permit; counseling to ensure a successful reunion between the family; and travel services.
To apply, it is necessary to register on the website so that a representative of the International Organization for Migration will later contact you to help with the next steps until the families are reunited.
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