Justice Department signals it needs more time to reunite migrant families

“The Government anticipates that additional clarification or relief may be requested as its implementation of the Court’s injunction proceeds,” wrote Justice Department officials.

The judge in the case, U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw, ordered in June that the federal government must make sure every separated parent or parents at least had a way to contact their child or children by July 6.

By July 10, the judge said all parents must be reunited with their children under the age of five. The deadline is July 26 for children over the age of five.

The federal government asked the court if it would violating the deadline for cases where DNA testing is used and “parentage cannot be confirmed quickly.”

“The Government can for the Court’s consideration prepare a proposal for an alternative time line,” wrote Justice Department officials.

The other issue that could slow down reunification is determining if a parent has a criminal history or is “unfit or presents a danger to the child.”

“HHS anticipates, however, in some instances it will not be able to complete the additional processes within the timelines the Court prescribed, particularly with regard to class members who are already not in Government custody,” government officials wrote.

Fewer than 3,000 children under the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s care have been separated from their parents as a result of entering the U.S. illegally and fewer than 100 of that number are under the age of five, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told reporters Thursday.

The fewer-than-3,000 estimate, which Azar said reaches back before the May 6 announcement by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, includes kids who were taken away from guardians while traveling from Central America to the U.S., prior to being taken into federal custody.

However, Azar did not state how many had been confirmed as separated prior to crossing the border between ports of entry.