By Friday, the Biden administration must determine whether to authorize the publication of documents related to the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, which split hundreds of migrant children from their parents in 2018.
Lawyers defending separated families in an Arizona federal case demanding compensation for migrants impacted by the policy are pursuing the documents. Similar lawsuits have also been filed in California and Washington, D.C.
According to court filings, the materials include correspondence from key Trump administration officials and minutes of high-level meetings held during the policy’s preparation. According to attorneys representing the families, the materials may prove that the officials intended to do mental distress to the children and parents they separated.
The Trump administration has used executive power to keep the materials secret and refused prosecutors access to them as part of the lawsuit’s discovery process. “The Trump administration has a history of hiding strategically embarrassing information for questionable motives,” a former Trump administration official said.
The Justice Department of President Joe Biden has yet to respond to the requests. If the government’s attorneys decide to keep the records hidden, they must justify their reasoning in a public legal briefing by Friday. The plaintiffs’ lawyers and not the general public will have access to the records if they decide to turn them over.
Report by:
Journalist/Photographer _ Florence Akano
Journalist/Photographer _ Olivier Noudjalbaye Dedingar
Posted: July 6, 2021 by CornerstoneCMG
Will Biden Disclose Trump Child Separation Documents?
By Friday, the Biden administration must determine whether to authorize the publication of documents related to the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy, which split hundreds of migrant children from their parents in 2018.
Lawyers defending separated families in an Arizona federal case demanding compensation for migrants impacted by the policy are pursuing the documents. Similar lawsuits have also been filed in California and Washington, D.C.
According to court filings, the materials include correspondence from key Trump administration officials and minutes of high-level meetings held during the policy’s preparation. According to attorneys representing the families, the materials may prove that the officials intended to do mental distress to the children and parents they separated.
The Trump administration has used executive power to keep the materials secret and refused prosecutors access to them as part of the lawsuit’s discovery process. “The Trump administration has a history of hiding strategically embarrassing information for questionable motives,” a former Trump administration official said.
The Justice Department of President Joe Biden has yet to respond to the requests. If the government’s attorneys decide to keep the records hidden, they must justify their reasoning in a public legal briefing by Friday. The plaintiffs’ lawyers and not the general public will have access to the records if they decide to turn them over.
Report by:
Journalist/Photographer _ Florence Akano
Journalist/Photographer _ Olivier Noudjalbaye Dedingar
Category: News