The Department of Health and Human Services has created a new task force to assist with the reunification of illegal immigrant families, a new report claims.
According to Politico – which allegedly obtained a document detailing the creation of the task force – HHS’ assistant secretary of preparedness and response will lead the reunification effort.
“The Secretary of Health and Human Services has directed the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response to assist the ACF Office of Refugee Resettlement with Unaccompanied Children Reunification,” the document allegedly reads, per Politico.
The report comes hot on the heels of news claiming Customs and Border Patrol is working to reunite all migrant children in their custody with their family units by the end of the weekend.
The New York Times claimed earlier on Friday that the White House staff is currently clashing over how to best to reunite migrant children separated from their families.
President Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday barring the separation of illegal immigrant families apprehended between official ports of entry, yet the order did not provide for a means of reuniting families already separated.
Immigrant families may still be separated when officials have “concern that detention of an alien child with the child’s alien parent would pose a risk to the child’s welfare.”
HHS currently has thousands of immigrant children in its custody at various detention centers.
“Secretary Azar is bringing to bear all the relevant resources of the department in order to assist in the reunification or placement of unaccompanied alien children and teenagers with a parent or appropriate sponsor,” HHS spokesperson Evelyn Stauffer said in a Saturday morning statement. “The Secretary has tasked the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response with applying their operational and logistical expertise in addressing this complex effort. The Office of Refugee Resettlement continues to oversee and manage the Unaccompanied Alien Children Program.”
