SAN DIEGO (AP) – A federal judge on Friday commended the Trump administration efforts to reunify families separated at the border but also planned to keep close watch as another big deadline nears.
U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw said at a hearing in San Diego that the government has demonstrated good faith and largely complied with a deadline this week to reunite families with children under 5 years old.
At the same time, he indicates he will be monitoring the administration’s actions ahead of a July 26 deadline to reunite more than 2,000 children who are 5 and older.
The judge said the administration must provide a list of names of parents in immigration custody and their children by Monday and complete background checks for them by Thursday.
The American Civil Liberties Union has said the administration failed to meet last Tuesday’s deadline to reunify dozens of children under 5 with their families and should therefore be closely watched as the next deadline approaches.