DHS Refuses to ‘Reunite’ Children with Adults Who Aren’t Their Parents

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) held a joint call Tuesday to announce their efforts to comply with a June 26 federal court ruling mandating children under five years old in HHS custody be “reunited” with parents if they were separated at the border.

U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw, in response to an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lawsuit, set a July 10 deadline to reunite the families and refused to provide additional time for the government to use DNA testing to determine if the people in question are even the 102 identified children’s parents.

Nevertheless, the government, in its Tuesday “Joint Status Report” notes that in at least 14 of the 102 children’s cases, they will not be “reuniting” them with parents because the adults in question are either not actually their parents, have been convicted of serious crimes, including rape and murder, or have been credibly accused of child abuse. The government will not place children with adults without completing these checks.

“Let me be clear: HHS could have transferred every child out of our care to a parent who is currently in DHS custody today if we did not take into account child safety or whether the adult is actually the parent,” HHS Chief of Staff Chris Meekins, told reporters.

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