By the Numbers: Family Separation at the Border
Edvin Cazun, right, and son Samuel of Guatemala reunite in Cincinnati on July 23, about a month after they were separated when they crossed the Rio Grande into the United States. (John Minchillo / Associated Press)
Number of children separated as a result of a zero tolerance policy for those who ask for asylum after entering NOT at an official port of entry:
2,551
Number of children reunited with their parents who had been in custody:
1,440
Number of children released to parents, family members or sponsors already in the U.S. or turned 18 while in custody:
380
Number of children who were deemed ineligible by the government, and on whom federal Judge Dana Sabraw requires a status report every Thursday until reunification or resolution:
650
Number of the ineligible who were already deported without their children:
431
Number of parents deemed ineligible due to a “prohibitive criminal record”:
64
Number of parents deemed ineligible due to a prohibitive criminal record whose children are under the age of 5:
11
Number of parents the ACLU says may have waived their right to reunification in error:
120
Number of parents who were released into the interior of the U.S. without their children and cannot be located:
52
Number of parents outside the country whose names were provided by the Department of Justice to the ACLU:
468
Number of children that the United States of America should cause unnecessary stress or anguish for any reason:
0
Sources: NBC News, Politico and the New Yorker.
Numbers are as of July 30, 2018.
“There has to be a structure in place [for tracking families among multiple agencies], because family separation will continue for legitimate reasons. There are going to be people who keep coming into the country, and there are going to be apprehensions.”
