Six children separated from their parents due to the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy remain at a Long Island shelter, Newsday reports.
The children are still being housed at a MercyFirst campus in Syosset after being brought there in May. They are among the around 400 children whose parents were deported after their families were broken up.
The Trump administration separated around 2,500 migrant children from their parents under a policy of prosecuting all individuals who entered the U.S. illegally. Trump ended the policy in June but a court ordered the government to reunite all families who were separated by July 26th. The government told the court that 1,900 families have been reunited so far.
The six children in Long Island are among the hundreds who have yet to be reunited with their families. The government and the American Civil Liberties Union, who filed the suit that led to the court order for reunification, have argued over who should be responsible for tracking down parents who were deported.
The children in Long Island are aged between 5 and 17, and they come from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Brazil, MercyFirst Head Gerard McCaffery told Newsday. Three other children housed in the shelter were successfully reunited with their parents, who were being held in the U.S. Newsday
Good morning, and welcome to Early Arrival. I’m Mazin Sidahmed, here to take you through the latest in local and national immigration news and analysis. If you have feedback, suggestions, tips or leads, reach out at mazin.sidahmed@documentedny.com or on Twitter.
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Ellis Island
Some Dems Less Enthused by ‘Abolish ICE’
New York and New Jersey Democrats who are campaigning in red districts are struggling to respond to questions about abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a platform that has gained popularity among several factions of the Democratic party. Anthony Brindisi, of New York’s 22nd district, has refused to endorse eradicating the agency. None of the Democratic candidates running to take four seats from Republicans in New Jersey have backed abolishing ICE. The New York Times
Related: We’re not going to ‘Abolish ICE.’ So Why is This Republican Lying? The Star Ledger [Opinion]
Surge in Taxi License Applications
After the City Council approved a cap on the number of for hire vehicles from ride hailing apps in New York, potential Uber drivers have been rushing to apply for licenses, with incentives from the company. The cap will place a 12-month pause on the issuing of new licenses (except for new wheelchair-accessible cars). Uber offered a $500 reward to new drivers to get their car licensed by the Taxi and Limousine Commission. The TLC said it received 3,152 for-hire vehicle applications between Aug. 1 and Aug. 9, 560 more than it did for the entire month of August last year. The New York Post
NYC’s Foster Kids Need the Same Support as Migrant Children, The New York Post [Opinion]
I Don’t Understand Why People in This Country Hate Us So Much, The New York Times [Opinion]
National
Prosecutors Request Court Exonerate Deported Haitian Man
Prosecutors in Miami-Dade County requested on Friday a judge vacate the burglary conviction of Clarens Desrouleaux, a man deported to Haiti after serving five years in state prison. They found that he was wrongfully arrested during the tenure of Police Chief Raimundo Atesiano, who is now subject to a civil rights probe. During Atesiano’s tenure in 2013 and 2014, officers reported he ordered bogus arrests, with one officer saying he was told to pin burglaries on “anybody black walking through our streets” or who had “somewhat of a record.” The Miami Herald
Adopted and Undocumented
When Congress passed The Child Citizenship Act in 2000, the bill’s sponsors said it granted automatic citizenship to the 140,000 foreign-born child adoptees of U.S. citizens. However, it excluded the roughly 25,000 to 49,000 adoptees over the age of 18, according to the Adoptee Rights Campaign. The Intercept took an in-depth look at the adoptees, some in their 40s and 50s, who remain without citizenship. The Intercept
Rhode Island Mayor Splits with Democratic Counterparts
Cranston, Rhode Island’s Republican Mayor Allan Fung split with other mayors in the state on Friday, signing an agreement with U.S. Justice Department to contact immigration enforcement when an undocumented immigrant is in a local jail. Democratic mayors in the state announced lawsuits against the DOJ over its refusal to issue a federal grant to their police forces due to their policy of not cooperating with immigration enforcement. Despite the mayor’s announcement, Cranston’s police chief told The Providence Journal that Fung’s order had not changed their operations. Fung is running for governor in the Republican primary, and he attacked Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo for making the state “unsafe” with “sanctuary” policies. Fung lost to Raimondo in the 2014 gubernatorial election. The Providence Journal
Texas Lockup is Epicenter of Family Immigration Detention, Associated Press
Asylum Seekers Find Following Rules Holds No Assurances, Voice of America
“It’s Humiliating”: Released Immigrants Describe Life with Ankle Monitors, Texas Tribune
Traveling While Muslim: The Case of the Exploding Chocolate, Politico Magazine [Opinion]
The New Face of the American Carnival, Associated Press
Washington – Feds Keep Texas Detention Center Open
The detention camp, opened in June in West Texas in response to the large number of detained undocumented immigrant minors, will remain open, officials said on Friday.
It was originally scheduled to be closed in July but its contract has been extended for a second time and will now be open until Sept. 13. The temporary shelter in in Tornillo, Texas is run by contractor BCFS Health and Human Services.
Texas state Democrats said there are more than 170 immigrant minors being held there, none of whom were separated from their parents at the border. Texas Tribune
After Judge’s Contempt Threat, Trump Administration Returns Deported Mom, Child to U.S., NBC News