US government lawyers in a document filed a few hours ahead of a court-mandated deadline said 1,442 migrant children over the age of five have been reunited with their parents, Sputnik reported.
A US federal court gave the government until end of day July 26 to reunite all migrant children that were separated from their parents as the result of the Trump administration’s "zero tolerance" immigration policy.
"Children discharged by being reunified with parents in ICE custody under the government's plan: 1,442," the court document revealed on Thursday. "Children in care… where the adult associated with the child is either not eligible for reunification or not available for discharge at this time: 711."
"The reunification plan outlined to the Court … is proceeding, and is expected to result in the reunification of all class members found eligible for reunification at this time by the Court’s July 26, 2018 deadline," a government official said in a court document as quoted by Fox News.
378 other migrant children, according to the document, were reunited with a family member or sponsor within the United States, which means 1,820 of 2,551 migrant children ages 5-17 separated at the border have been discharged from custody with the US health agency.
Lawyers with the Justice Department told US District Judge Dana Sabraw at a status conference on Tuesday that 1,012 reunifications have taken place for children ages 5-17.
The US Department of Health and Human Services failed to meet a court-ordered July 12 deadline to return 102 children under the age of 5 to their parents.
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