ACLU Comment on Biden Family Separation Announcement

NEW YORK — The Biden administration today announced steps to address and reverse the damage caused by family separation.

The American Civil Liberties Union successfully sued to block family separation and immediately reunite families. Thousands of families were torn apart, sparking outrage around the world. Many families are still separated.

The following reaction is from ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero:

“We applaud Secretary Mayorkas’ commitment to remedy the torture and abuse of families who were separated from their children in immigration proceedings. Of course, the devil is in the details and Secretary Mayorkas has to shed all the caveats and qualifications around his announcement and follow through with everything that’s necessary to right the wrong. At the highest levels of American government, a cruel and unconstitutional family separation practice was authorized. It was shocking in its inhumanity, akin to Japanese-American internment and the turning back of Jewish refugees who were escaping Nazi Germany aboard the St. Louis. The United States has an affirmative obligation to reunite the separated families here if they so choose, provide a pathway to citizenship for these families, and to remedy the trauma and torture these children and parents endured.

“These separated families suffered unfathomably because of what our government did, and we owe them restitution. This includes a permanent pathway to citizenship, care, and resources to help them.”