Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., suggested Wednesday that families who were separated at the border as a result of the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy should be financially compensated for the trauma and inconveniences experienced in the process.
“To have these children ripped apart and separated is one of the most reprehensible things I’ve witnessed in my 20 years of service here in the House of Representatives,” Crowley, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, said during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol.
“The damage that has been done to these families will be lifelong as well. And in fact, I suggest that they need to be compensated for what this administration did to them. And the first form of compensation needs to be the full reunification of these families,” said Crowley, who recently lost the primary race for his seat.
Following a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union last month, U.S. District Court Judge Dana Sabraw ordered the Trump administration to reunite all children in the custody of Health and Human Services who were separated from the adult they illegally entered the country with. Adults were separated from kids as a result starting in May after the Justice Department ordered all adults, including those who arrived with children, be referred for prosecution for unauthorized entry between ports of entry.
Sabraw ruled kids four and under be reunited with adults last Tuesday. Approximately half of the 103 in that category were reconnected with people HHS verified as a parent and safe to return children to.
Thursday marks the deadline for a larger population of 1,637 parents to be reunited with their kids. An additional 937 parents’ whereabouts are either unknown to the government or the parent was deemed ineligible for reunification due to a variety of factors.
