The Justice Department has announced that they are breaking off negotiations with families of illegal immigrants who came to this country illegally during the Trump administration.
The DOJ informed attorneys representing separated migrant families that it will end settlement negotiations and go back to court.
“While the parties have been unable to reach a global settlement agreement at this time, we remain committed to engaging with the plaintiffs and to bringing justice to the victims of this abhorrent policy,” Justice Department spokesperson Dena Iverson said.
Biden and the DHS have been much maligned for how they are handling immigration law enforcement and this latest report only adds fuel to the fire of the administration’s critics.
During Biden’s first nine months in office, there were 1.7 million arrests of illegal immigrants at the border, with encounters averaging over 200,000 per month.
Prior to Biden’s border crisis, the number of arrests and encounters at the southern border was falling precipitously following a 2019 spike that abated soon after Trump made a border security deal with Mexico.
The Biden DOJ, HHS, and DHS had previously floated the idea of distributing funds to families of those separated at the border during the Trump administration.
It had previously been reported that the payments could be close to $1 million per family. The Wall Street Journal wrote:
“The Biden administration is in talks to offer immigrant families that were separated during the Trump administration around $450,000 a person in compensation, according to people familiar with the matter, and that many families would likely get smaller payouts, depending on their circumstances, the people said.”
The considered reparations are said to be a response to class-action lawsuits filed on behalf of illegal immigrant families.
According to the same WSJ report, “Many of the families filed tort claims, a type of civil claim seeking damages for loss or harm, asking for compensation to cover mental-health treatment to address the emotional and psychological toll the practice took.”
Joe Biden and his administration have spent ample time trying to undo President Trump’s border security policies, and it appears that they are determined to continue.
