That is why, beyond any additional assistance the Biden administration can give us to find the still-missing families, it must do four things.
First, it must permit deported families to reunite in the United States. Many mistakenly assume that only the missing 400-plus remain separated. But the Trump administration deported hundreds of other parents without their children (often telling the parent that their child would meet them on the plane only to have the plane take off without the child). We have found many of these still-separated families, but the Trump administration gave them only two brutal choices: remain separated from their children or bring their children back to the very danger they fled in the first place. The Biden administration has the power to immediately “parole” these families into the United States, allowing them to reunite in safety here.
Second, the Biden administration must use its executive power to protect these families from deportation once reunited in the U.S. The Trump administration placed many of them in deportation proceedings, but given what these families have endured, it would be unconscionable to now deport them. And once their deportations are deferred, the Biden administration must explore all available means to confer permanent legal status. Importantly, this will also help us locate the missing parents, because families will be more willing to come forward if they know they will be safe.
Third, the Biden task force must provide damages and also create a fund to provide basic necessities, including trauma-informed care for both the children and parents. Without this help, these families stand little chance. As the American Academy of Pediatrics has concluded, the Trump administration engaged in “child abuse” that has caused lasting trauma. Physicians for Human Rights has gone further and called it torture.
Finally, the task force must ensure there are no more family separations so we do not repeat this tragedy.