(TheRedWire.com) – On Friday, a federal judge ruled that the federal government would not be allowed to separate families as part of immigration border policy for the next eight years. This stops any possible return of the 2018 zero-tolerance policy.
The decision results from a case brought forward by families separated during that time and the Department of Justice. Representing the family was the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which celebrated the case’s success and U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw’s ruling that would block any further separations.
ACLU spokesperson Lee Gelernt argued that while this settlement would not help fix the damage endured by those families that were separated, it would still help ensure that no families in the future would face the same situation. Gelernt pointed out that there was still a lot of work to be done and that there were still many children who needed to be reunited with their loved ones after years of being separated. He added that this was a “tragedy” that no other families should be made to go through.
It is not yet clear how many families and children have been affected by these policies, but currently, it is estimated that the settlement would cover around 4,500 to 5,000 children. As part of the deal, the families that were separated because of the policy would be able to seek work authorization and some legal, medical, and housing benefits in the United States.
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