HHS says it will reunite families by deadline

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Thursday the Trump administration would meet court-ordered deadlines for reuniting separated immigrant families. Azar warned that entire families might remain in custody, albeit together, under the existing “zero tolerance” policy for illegal border crossings. U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw in San Diego ordered the youngest children reunited by Tuesday of next week and the rest before the end this month. Azar called the deadlines extreme but said his department would comply after an extensive effort to identify children in its shelters who were separated from their parents, to confirm parentage, and to screen parents for criminal violations or other problems that could result in harm to the children. More than 230 people are working just on matching children with their parents. DNA testing is being used to speed up the matches because it’s faster than verifying paper documentation.