ACLU says it can't verify migrant reunifications

[DonViejo]

Source: Politico



By IAN KULLGREN 07/12/2018 09:32 PM EDT

Attorneys seeking to reunify migrant children separated from their parents at the southern border said Thursday that they were not able to verify the Trump administration’s claim that nearly five dozen children had been returned to their parents.

In a federal court filing, the American Civil Liberties Union accused immigration officials of preventing attorneys and human rights workers from verifying the 57 reunifications between parents and under-5 children announced Thursday morning by the Health and Human Services and Homeland Security departments.

Immigration officials broke a promise to notify attorneys when and where each reunification would take place, the ACLU said, and to allow third parties to witness them. Instead, the ACLU said, authorities “only provided a general prediction,” making the reunifications impossible to confirm.

Asked to comment, spokespeople for DHS and the DOJ declined.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/12/migrant-reunification-aclu-685673

[targetpractice]

1. Reunify?

I'm probably being pedantic here... But when did "reunify" become a replacement for "reunite"? Is there a linguistic agenda here like "pro-life" vs. "anti abortion"?

I've noticed this in news coverage, and there seems to be an avoidance of US commentators to use reunite, reuniting, reunited in favor of reunify, reunifying, reunification... What gives?

[Demit]

6. The Politico story uses "reunited" four times.

So I think the words are being used as synonyms, nothing more. Probably there's a preference for the noun form "reunification" over, I guess, "reuniting." Maybe because it sounds more formal?

[targetpractice]

7. Yes, thanks... I'm just wondering why some choose one form over the other.

Why "family reunification" vs. "reunited families"? Again, I'm just curious... not complaining or anything, although the latter seems more powerful, less passive.

[Squinch]

2. Without verification, I don't believe they happened.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Why aren't the DHS and DOJ officials under contempt of court charges?

Last edited Fri Jul 13, 2018, 10:24 AM - Edit history (1)

[lark]

4. So, in other words, they are just lying!

What more should we have expected?

[BlueIdaho]

5. Because it didn't happen.

This claim is like every other empty Trump boast. It’s a crock of shit ginned up by lackeys who hope no one will ever check their work.

[bdamomma]

8. all this is being done

in our names. We don't know what they doing to these children doping them up with anti-psychotics, and other horrible crimes.

[Bayard]

9. Just because the kids disappear from their facilities

Doesn't mean they went to their parents.