The January report by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reveals a significant lack of oversight by government agencies charged with implementing the draconian plan to separate children to deter asylum-seeking children and families.
In April of 2018, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) formally implemented a “zero-tolerance” policy that resulted in the traumatic separation of thousands of children from their parents and primary caregivers. A district court judge ordered the U.S. government to identify and reunite more than 2,700 children who were forcefully placed into the custody of HHS as of June 26, 2018.
Because of the impact of this policy on vulnerable children, OIG conducted a review to determine the total number and status of those children separated under this policy. The alarming key takeaway from the report was that the total number of children separated from a parent or guardian by immigration authorities is unknown. The review pointed out that in addition to the 2,700 children counted in the district court case, more children were still being identified as having been separated months after the court order. Additionally, thousands of children may have been separated during an influx that began in 2017, before the accounting required by the court.
[For more on this story by Kristen Torres, go to https://chronicleofsocialchang...cy-had-no-plan/33687]
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