The government missed its deadline Tuesday to reunify all 98 immigrant children under 5 years old with their parents from whom they were separated at the border, but a federal judge is giving the administration more time because the process of finding and vetting the parents is proving difficult.
The Justice Department said in court filings Tuesday that the government is in the process of rejoining 51 small children with their parents — about half of the total. The parents of these 51 kids are in immigration detention and have been judged safe and fit to receive their children.
Among the reasons the government gave as to why the others cannot be reunified: Twelve parents have already been deported, eight parents were released into the United States, eight parents have criminal histories, five adults were determined not to be the parent of the child, and 10 parents are in state or federal criminal custody.
