Families separated at the border in the Trump administration seek agreement

Immigrants sent to prison without legal assistance in Texas 5:20

(CNN) -

Migrant families who were forcibly separated at the US-Mexico border under the Trump administration could receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation as part of settlement negotiations between the Justice Department and the families' attorneys, according to a source familiar with the matter.

More than 3,000 children were separated from their families on the US-Mexico border under Trump.

It is unclear how many people would be eligible for the payments.

The Wall Street Journal first reported that the federal government was considering payments of $ 450,000 per individual affected by the so-called "zero tolerance policy" that led to the separation of thousands of families.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a class action lawsuit in 2019 for damages for the cost of family separations.

Attorneys representing the families have also filed individual lawsuits.

Outside groups and a government watchdog found over the years that children separated from their families under the "zero tolerance" policy experienced trauma.

A 2019 Health and Human Services Inspector General report included accounts from facility staff detailing the inconsolable crying of children when they were separated, the children's confusion and the belief that they had been abandoned by their parents.

Physicians for Human Rights equated it with "torture," and the American Academy of Pediatrics told CNN that the Trump administration's practice of separating families at the border was "child abuse."

Negotiations are ongoing and the final figure is unknown, the source familiar with the matter said, noting that different numbers have been discussed at various times.

Financial compensation will likely vary and not everyone will receive the agreed maximum amount.

advertising

In a court filing Wednesday, the ACLU and other attorneys said they have made "significant progress toward a settlement."

"The Biden administration is right to provide assistance to children and families affected by the government's horrific practice of family separation," said ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt.

"Their suffering is something they will always live with, and it is a deep moral stain on our country. We have to do the right thing, and this includes not just any monetary support, but also a path to stay here. This is the right thing and the right thing to do. just".

The Department of Homeland Security referred CNN to the Justice Department, which declined to comment.

In 2018, the Trump administration announced the so-called "zero tolerance" policy, in which the Justice Department initiated criminal proceedings against any adult who crossed the border illegally, and which was ended after widespread opposition.

The policy resulted in the separation of thousands of families, including those with babies, some as young as a few months old, as children cannot remain in federal jail with their parents.

Former Trump administration officials, including former acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf, criticized possible payments to separated families.

"There are no limits to what this administration will do," Wolf said on Twitter.

"Everything they've touched on re: border security / immigration is wrong for America. But this may be at the top of the list."

• A long-awaited reunion: 29 families separated under the Trump administration will be reunited

The Biden administration is committed to helping reunite families as part of a family reunification task force and providing services to help those affected by the policy.

Since the task force was created, 50 children have been reunited with their parents in the United States, according to a recent court filing.

As part of the effort, the Department of Homeland Security established a process for accepting parole applications, the Department of Health and Human Services is working to facilitate support services to families, and the Department of State is developing a streamlined system for processing applications for national travel documents.

separation of children at the border