Justice department fights asylum seeker’s lawsuit over separation from her son – By Victoria Bekiempis (The Guardian) / Aug 27, 2023
After pair was separated for two years, suit shines light on Biden administration’s response to separation policy
When Leticia and her 15-year-old son, Yovany, crossed the US-Mexico border six years ago to escape violence in Guatemala, whatever hopes they had for an American dream soon spiraled into a nightmare. Within one day, US immigration authorities had separated the now 37-year-old from her teen boy, leading to a years-long fight for unification.
Leticia and Yovany, who waited more than two years to be reunited, have filed suit in Brooklyn federal court over their separation and detention conditions that could shine light on the shadowy process behind family separation. Leticia and Yovany are pseudonyms used in court filings.
Moreover, court papers filed this week offer insight into US officials’ continued efforts to evade legal responsibility for separations despite the Biden administration’s public promise to reunite separated families.
The US justice department is attempting to dismiss their suit with arguments ranging from mundane to bizarre – including claims that an act to protect children from human trafficking permitted Yovany’s separation from his mother.
CONTINUE > https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/27/migrant-family-separation-leticia-yovany-biden
