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Washington – The Trump administration admitted Thursday that it was using DNA tests to reunite up to 3,000 migrant minors with their undocumented parents, a controversial new episode in the case of these separations ordered in the name of a "zero tolerance" policy on immigration.
Authorities are in a time trial to return " about 100 children under five " to their parents by Tuesday, said Health Minister Alex Azar . Other miners must return to their families by July 26th.
Families will be gathered in a detention center if the parents are still detained there.
Tears of panicked children, stories of collapsed parents, no news of their children sent thousands of kilometers from their detention centers: America has been living for weeks at the pace of these poignant testimonies that have indignant Democrats, religious circles and even among the ranks of Republicans.
In the face of the outcry, Donald Trump ended by decree on June 20 the separations that had multiplied since he ordered, in early May, the systematic arrest and criminal prosecution of all illegals crossing the border. . But he is now calling Congress to reform the immigration laws.
In total, some 11,800 migrant minors are currently detained by US authorities after illegally crossing the border, but 80% of them are teenagers who have arrived alone, according to Azar.
According to previous official figures, more than 2,300 minors were removed from their undocumented parents from the beginning of May. More than 500 have been returned to their parents in recent days.
– " Protecting Children " –
" We Conduct DNA Testing to Confirm Kinship Relationship Quickly and Rigoriously ," Azar said at a news conference. conference call, confirming a practice decried by migrant badociations.
" This could allow the government to monitor these children for the rest of their lives ," said Raices Communications Director Jennifer K. Falcon in a statement. " This is a new proof of the incompetence of the administration and an admission of guilt (…) They never correctly counted the parents and children ".
The authorities use this method only when the identification documents are unreliable or non-existent, defended Jonathan White, head of emergency operations at the Ministry of Health.
" The DNA results are only used for " reuniting families, he said during the conference call. " We must protect children ".
A San Diego court ordered the reunification of migrant families in late June, calling on the government to " deal with the chaotic circumstances it created ".
" In order to meet the court's deadline, the Ministry of Health had to reduce (its usual procedures) to a more expeditious process " to check the records of each, "lamented Mr. Azar. .
Despite the controversy, the Trump administration hailed Thursday the 18% drop in June arrests on the border with Mexico (42,565) " after the implementation of zero tolerance policy ".
– " OUTSIDE " –
The US President on his side again urged Congress to urgently reform the " foolish " immigration laws, calling for the immediate return of all illegal immigrants entering the United States to avoid the problem of separations.
Majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate, Republicans have struggled for months to pbad a broad immigration reform. And while the separations of migrant families have added a new urgency to the subject, parliamentarians still seem far from adopting a law.
" When people, with or without children, enter our country, we must tell them to leave without our (…) Country being forced to go through a long and expensive lawsuit " , tweeted Donald Trump in reference to the procedures that include hearing their possible asylum claim.
" Tell people + OUT + and they must leave, as they would if they were in your garden ".
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