美国国土安全部长亚历杭德罗·马约尔卡斯(Alejandro Mayorkas)周五表示，拜登政府的工作队已经让500多名儿童团聚，以寻找因特朗普政府在边境采取“零容忍”政策而失散的家庭。
“这是一个重要的里程碑，反映了国土安全部和整个联邦政府的许多公务员不知疲倦的奉献精神，包括卫生与人类服务部、国务院和司法部的公务员，”马约尔卡斯在一份声明中说。“如果没有几个非常敬业的非政府组织的合作和重要工作，我们不可能实现这一里程碑。”
Mayorkas说，还有近200名儿童尚未与家人团聚。
根据工作队7月份的最新正式进展报告，政府此前已确定总共有3855名儿童有资格获得政府协助的团聚。自那时以来，行政当局现已联系了约150个符合资格但尚未答复的家庭。在工作队成立之前，约有2 260名已知儿童与家人团聚。这项工作是与包括国际移民组织和联合国难民机构在内的国际非政府组织一起进行的。人权工作者遍布中美洲，行程超过62，000英里寻找失散的父母。
“我们将继续不懈努力，兑现拜登总统的承诺，让在美墨边境与家人失散的儿童团聚，”马约卡斯周五表示。
那些获准团聚的人可以获得为期三年的人道主义假释，在美国生活和工作。这一地位与过去一年逃离阿富汗和乌克兰的人相似。政府继续运营两个网站---- Together.gov和Juntos.gov ----家庭可以在这两个网站上注册以检查他们的资格。迄今为止，政府已经登记了大约1700个。一旦符合条件，这些家庭就会提交文件以获得假释，允许他们进入美国
作为团聚努力的一部分，政府还向家庭提供心理健康服务。
上个月，司法部要求一名联邦法官批准对那些分居者进行新一轮的心理评估，这也是亚利桑那州联邦法院正在进行的诉讼的一部分。五位与孩子分离的母亲正在向美国政府寻求精神健康损害赔偿。
代表移民家庭的美国公民自由联盟首席律师李·格莱特在对美国广播公司新闻的一份声明中说，进展是显而易见的，但还需要做更多的工作，并指出他们继续寻找150个离散家庭。
“该工作队应该为500个家庭的团聚受到赞扬，但不幸的是，要纠正特朗普政府犯下的历史性错误，还有很长的路要走，”格勒恩特说。“除了团聚，这些家庭应该得到全面的救济，包括留在美国的机会。”
500 children reunited with families by Biden-Harris task force, nearly 200 still in process
More than 500 children have been reunited by the Biden administration's task force to find families separated as a result of the Trump administration's "zero-tolerance" policy at the border, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Friday.
"This is a significant milestone that reflects the tireless dedication of the many public servants in the Department of Homeland Security and across the federal government, including those in the Departments of Health and Human Services, State, and Justice," Mayorkas said in a statement. "It is a milestone that we could not have achieved without the partnership and critical work of several incredibly committed non-governmental organizations."
Nearly 200 other children have yet to be reunited and are in the process, Mayorkas said.
The administration had previously identified 3,855 total children who would qualify for government-assisted reunification, according to the last formal progress report from the task force in July. Since then, the administration has now reached out to about 150 families who are eligible but have not responded. Prior to the establishment of the task force, some 2,260 known children were reunified.
The work is done in connection with international non-governmental organizations including the International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency. Human rights workers have fanned out across Central America, traveling over 62,000 miles to find separated parents.
"We will continue to work tirelessly to deliver on President Biden's commitment to reunite children separated from their families at the United States-Mexico border," Mayorkas said Friday.
Those admitted for reunification receive humanitarian parole for three years to live and work in the U.S. The status is similar to those who have fled Afghanistan and Ukraine over the past year. The administration continues to operate two websites -- Together.gov and Juntos.gov -- where families can register to check their eligibility. So far, the government has registered about 1,700. Once found eligible, families then submit documentation to receive parole, allowing them to enter the U.S.
The government is also providing families access to mental health services as part of the reunification effort.
Last month, the Justice Department asked a federal judge to approve a new round of psychological evaluations for those separated and a part of an ongoing lawsuit in Arizona federal court. Five mothers who were separated from their kids are seeking compensation for mental health damages from the U.S. government.
Lee Gelernt, the lead ACLU attorney representing migrant families said in a statement to ABC News that the progress was notable, but much more work needs to be done, noting they continue to look for 150 separated families.
"The task force should be given credit for reunifying 500 families, but unfortunately there is still a long way to go to remedy the historic wrong committed by the Trump administration," Gelernt said. "Beyond reunification, these families deserve comprehensive relief, including a chance to remain in the United States."
