California has been one of the states on the front line of the child separation controversy. Although the reunification of families seeking asylum in the United States has begun, the American Civil Liberties Union took action to challenge the federal government’s intention to immediately deport the families. After considering the ACLU’s motion, a federal judge halted the immediate deportation of reunited families. The temporary stay grants reunified families one week to file their asylum paperwork.
The inability of parents to request asylum for children who have been forcibly taken away represented the core of the ACLU’s legal argument. The organization insisted that the government had an obligation to give the families a chance to pursue asylum.
The judge decided that the attorneys for the government needed to coordinate their actions with the ACLU. This way, the ACLU could warn charity groups managing the process of returning children to their parents about government actions that might impede their efforts. Many reports of disorganized reunions have been blamed on computer errors, but the judge suspected that the Department of Health and Human Services had been purposefully botching court-ordered reunifications. The judge set a one-week deadline for federal attorneys to respond to the ACLU’s motion.
When a person needs to approach immigration officials, legal guidance might be beneficial. An attorney who practices immigration law may inform a person about their rights and explain how to pursue goals like applying for asylum, a green card, citizenship or a tourist visa. An attorney may be able to collect necessary documents for the person and complete paperwork correctly. Legal representation might also aid someone who needs to appeal a decision to deny the person entry to the country.
Source: Splinter, “Trump Administration Ordered to Halt Deportations of Recently Reunited Families“, Rafi Schwartz, July 16, 2018