US reunites nearly 700 kids taken from parents under Trump
Published:Friday | February 3, 2023 | 2:16 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Biden administration task force designed to reunite children separated from their families during President Trump's presidency has reconnected nearly 700 children with their families, officials said Thursday.
President Joe Biden issued an executive order on his first day in office to reunite families that were split up under the Trump administration's widely condemned practise of forcibly separating parents and children at the US-Mexico border to discourage illegal immigration.
Thursday marked the two-year anniversary of the task force.
According to figures released by the Department of Homeland Security, 3,881 children were separated from their families from 2017 to 2021.
About 74% of those have been reunited with their families: 2,176 before the task force was created and 689 afterward.
But that still leaves nearly 1,000 children.
Of those, 148 are in the reunification process.
The department pledged to continue the work until all separated families that can be found have the opportunity to reunite with their children.
Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.