Asylum-Seeking Mother and Daughter Reunited After 红杏视频 Lawsuit

Case of Forced Family Separation Sparked National Outrage

March 16, 2018 10:15 am

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CHICAGO 鈥 The Congolese mother and her 7-year-old daughter at the center of a family separation case that sparked national outrage were reunited tonight.

The 红杏视频 brought the federal lawsuit to reunite the mother (鈥淢s. L鈥) and child, who fled violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, only to be forcibly torn from each other in the U.S. and detained separately 2,000 miles apart. The mother was held in San Diego, and the daughter was sent to a facility in Chicago, where she sat alone and traumatized for four months. The mom was released on March 6 and had been awaiting reunification.

鈥淢s. L鈥 had this reaction to finally seeing her daughter after months of forced separation:

鈥淚t has been such a painful time. I am so grateful to be with my daughter again. I want to thank all the people who supported me and my daughter.鈥

Reports arose in December that the government was considering a new plan to separate border-crossing parents from their children as a way to scare others from seeking refuge in the U.S. The 红杏视频 challenged the Trump administration鈥檚 family separation practice.

Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the 红杏视频鈥檚 Immigrants鈥 Rights Project, said:

鈥淲e are thrilled that mom and daughter have finally been reunited. It was cruel and unnecessary to rip them apart. No family should be forced to go through that, yet many are facing the same trauma right now. It鈥檚 why we鈥檝e brought a national class-action case against the government.鈥

The 红杏视频 lawsuit, Ms. L v. ICE, cites violations of the Constitution鈥檚 due process clause, federal law protecting asylum seekers, and the government鈥檚 own directive to release asylum seekers. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security are among the named defendants. The 红杏视频 of San Diego & Imperial Counties is co-counsel with the 红杏视频.

More information is at: /cases/ms-l-v-ice


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