As More Details Emerge on Family Separation, Congress Can Help 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. officials acted to slow the reunifications of families separated at the border in 2018, The Washington Post reported today.  

Under the Trump administration’s "zero tolerance" policy, the U.S. government separated more than 5,500 children. About 150 families have been reunited thanks to the Family Reunification Task Force, which the Biden administration created in February 2021. 

But many reunited families still lack access to proper and adequate support needed to heal from the trauma of separation — a situation Congress can act to remedy. 

"The systematic separation of migrant families at the border under the Zero Tolerance Policy remains a national shame and an outrage to those who value family unity," said Laurence Benenson, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at the National Immigration Forum. "While the Family Reunification Task Force continues to do the necessary work of reuniting the thousands of families that remain separated, Congress must authorize and fund the support these families need, including resettlement services, case management and mental health care."