The Biden administration has united more than 600 children who were separated from their families under former President Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy, officials announced Thursday.
Thursday marked the two-year anniversary of Biden’s Family Reunification Task Force that he established to reunite children with their families who were separated under the previous administration. The task force, which is housed under the Department of Homeland Security, said nearly 1,000 children still remain separated from their families, according to a press release.
Of the remaining children, 148 are still going through the reunification process and 183 other families have been notified to start the process, according to the release.
“Today we recognize the dedication of those who have helped reunite these families, and we reaffirm our commitment to work relentlessly to reunite the other families who suffered because of the prior cruel and inhumane policy — a policy that did not reflect the values of our nation,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.
“The Task Force continues to coordinate outreach to families who were separated to ensure they are afforded the opportunity to reunite in the United States and receive critically needed behavioral health services to address the trauma they suffered,” he continued.
The task force has identified nearly 4,000 children who were separated from their families during the Trump administration. As of Wednesday, 2,926 children were united either before the task force was created or through their efforts.
The Biden administration launched a website in 2021 to streamline the reunification process and allow those who were separated under the Trump administration to apply for humanitarian parole, which would allow the U.S. to admit those who otherwise may not fulfill immigration requirements.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to fulfill President Biden’s pledge to reunify all children who were separated from their families under the “zero-tolerance” policy to the greatest extent possible,” Mayorkas said. “We continue to work diligently to incorporate the foundational principle of family unity in our policies and operations.”