LOS ANGELES – The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to assemble a task force to identify and aid any children living in Los Angeles County who are among the estimated 545 youngsters still separated from their families following an immigration crackdown at the U.S.-Mexican border.
Supervisor Hilda Solis recommended the workgroup and sending a letter to the secretaries of U.S. Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, as well as House and Senate leaders, denouncing the administration’s policies with regard to immigrant families.
“As the largest county and a county made whole by its immigrant community, we are obligated to act,” Solis said. “Staying silent is not an option. With this motion, we demand that separated children be expeditiously reunited with their parents because families belong together.”
In a court filing last week, the American Civil Liberties Union and other immigration advocates reported that lawyers appointed by a federal judge to identify migrant families separated under the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy have not been able to locate the parents of 545 children.
The children have all been released to sponsors or family care, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The ACLU said that about two-thirds of the parents are believed to have been deported to their home countries.
“People ask when we will find all of these families, and sadly, I can’t give an answer. I just don’t know,” Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, told NBC News. “But we will not stop looking until we have found every one of the families, no matter how long it takes. The tragic reality is that hundreds of parents were deported to Central America without their children, who remain here with foster families or distant relatives.”
The supervisors directed the county Office of Immigrant Affairs to convene the workgroup and make social services available to children, sponsors or their families.
A report was requested back in 30 days.
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Laughing says
Lol YOU MAD?!
Footsteps says
Someone has the same comment as you, Laughing.
Laughing says
Well that is not me. I rarely use caps much less all caps.
Shun the non-believer… shunnnnnn
Tom says
There they go again wasting our tax money on non citizens. Come on La County board of supervisors you cant even fix our homeless situation, clean up gang violence. So what says you can find loved ones of immigrants. Its the federal government issue let them handle it.
Tom is Dense says
Lol YOU MAD?!
Tom Sucks says
Oh Tom, stop wasting time with hateful rhetoric and use it to better your spelling and grammar. “Hooked-on Phonics” did not work for you buddy. If you read this piece slowly and thoroughly, you will see that ACLU is involved, this is why I donate and support this entity. It is great that these children will receive additional support to help locate their parents, my heart breaks for them. As a parent, I would be devastated 24/7 if I did not know if my children were safe, they are innocent and absolutely not at fault. Let me guess Tom…you also consider yourself a good Christian. Hilarious.
I'll have to do until He gets here says
Where are the “good” Christians?
In olden times, they were willing to be crucified and/or be thrown to the lions.
Nowadays, they won’t speak up when their Orange God bears false witness, covets and worse.
That’s okay. They’ll get theirs in their afterlife.