Migrant Families Separated Under Trump Granted Legal Status, Protections, Benefits

A settlement agreement filed on Monday grants migrant families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border temporary legal status and other benefits while barring similar separations in the future, Ted Hesson reports for Reuters. The agreement currently applies to some 3,900 children separated from their parents during Trump’s presidency from 2017-2021.

An estimated 500-1,000 children remain separated and the number covered by the settlement will likely expand. The settlement allows families subjected to Trump-era separations to apply for temporary legal status for three years and a work permit, as well as the option to make an asylum claim with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The agreement will bar the government from implementing any policy leading to widespread separations for eight years, but allows for exceptions for reasons of national security, criminal warrants, medical emergencies or if a child’s safety is at risk.