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Cuartoscuro |
The Biden administration reached an agreement with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Monday that bans measures such as family separations at the border for eight years. The United States will also offer temporary legal status and other benefits to migrant families separated at the border with Mexico during the Trump administration.
The agreement between Washington and the ACLU, which represents families separated from their children, still needs to be approved by the judge. However, if finalized, it will make it much more difficult for any government, including former President Trump, the favorite for the Republican presidential nomination, to revive one of his most controversial tactics to curb migration at the southern border if he wins the next year's election.
The pact limits the circumstances in which parents or legal guardians can be separated from children. In cases where separation occurs due to security or medical reasons, among others, it establishes procedures for tracking the whereabouts of family members and ensuring that this information is shared.
On their social media, the ACLU reported on this agreement regarding the Trump administration's family separation policy.
"This agreement alone cannot repair the damage done to these children, but it is an essential start," the ACLU added.
According to this human rights organization, the Biden administration has agreed not to reintroduce the zero-tolerance policy.
"After years of fighting for these families, this helps close one of the darkest chapters of the Trump administration," the post stated.
Between 2017 and 2018, families from at least 22 countries were separated from their children by immigration authorities at the southern U.S. border. While most were from Central America, other migrants came from as far away as Hungary, Congo, and Kyrgyzstan.