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Settlement reached for migrant families separated at the border

This settlement forbids any families from being separated for an eight-year period with the exception of those who have committed a serious felony.

SAN DIEGO — Separations of parents and children at the U.S.- Mexico border are largely barred under a proposed settlement reached Monday in a long-running San Diego-based lawsuit concerning the Trump administration's practice of forcibly separating migrant families at the southern border.

The settlement, which remains subject to a judge's approval, limits such separations for the next eight years, "except in specific limited circumstances, including cases of national security, safety of the child, medical emergencies and certain criminal warrants," according to the Department of Justice.

Support services such as temporary housing, medical assistance, behavioral health services and immigration-related legal services also will be provided for families who were separated and are in the United States.

"The practice of separating families at the southwest border was shameful," said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in a statement. "This agreement will facilitate the reunification of separated families and provide them with critical services to aid in their recovery."

In 2018, the American Civil Liberties Union sued to halt the Trump Administration's "zero tolerance" policy, which left thousands of children separated from their parents or guardians while the adults faced criminal prosecution for illegally crossing the border.

Some families divided under the policy still have not been reunited to this day, the ACLU says.

The ACLU said in a statement, "This settlement alone can't repair the harm done to these children, but it is an essential beginning. A critical component of the settlement is that the government finally agreed to not reenact this zero-tolerance policy. After years of fighting for these families, this helps close one of the darkest chapters of the Trump administration."

Affected families in the class action suit include those separated between Jan. 20, 2017, and Jan. 20, 2021. Those who believe they are part of the affected class can submit claims to the Family Reunification Task Force at www.together.gov.

"The separation of families at our southern border was a betrayal of our nation's values," said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. ``By providing services to these families and implementing policies to prevent future separations, Monday's agreement addresses the impacts of those separations and helps ensure that nothing like this happens again.

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