The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security is to investigate whether immigrant families are being improperly separated in immigration custody by the Trump administration, a letter sent by the Inspector General to Illinois Senator, Dick Durbin, has revealed. The letter states that the Inspector General will examine whether the children of asylum seekers are being separated from their parents.
The review follows a Democrat coalition, led by Durbin, which requested the matter be looked into by the Inspector General following reports that children in immigration custody were being separated from their parents by the Department of Homeland Security. Although some specific incidents have been reported, it is uncertain if the practice has been widespread.
Kirstjen Nielsen, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), last week testified before Congress that adults and children in custody were only separated by the Department if it was felt to be in the child’s best interests, such as if the familial bond is unproven, or if there is a suspicion about potential human trafficking. But, Nielsen admitted that one incident, which separated a Congolese woman from her daughter for several months, resulting in the American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit, took too long to verify their relationship.
The letter from John V Kelly, the acting Inspector General of the DHS, says that a review of the matter will be conducted by the office, which has also requested a follow-up meeting for further discussion.