Lawmakers press Trump admin for list of migrant kids separated from families

Ten lawmakers penned a letter to government agencies on Monday requesting a list of all migrant children separated from parents as a result of the Trump administration’s controversial “zero tolerance” policy.

{mosads}In the letter, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and nine other senators asked for the number of days each migrant child had been separated from their families, whether officials were successful in contacting their families to be made aware of their child’s location and whether the family member has been detained, deported or released.

The senators sent the letter to the departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services.

The senators also wrote in the letter that they were “deeply concerned by reports of chaotic attempts to reunify parents and children” and said that they want information to help clarify the government’s system for reuniting migrant families.

The letter arrives as the Trump administration continues to face opposition over its zero tolerance immigrant policy. 

The controversial policy resulted in the separation of hundreds of migrant families since being implemented by Attorney General Jeff Sessions in May.   

Trump ended the separations with an executive order in June. However, it remains unclear how that will effect children already separated from their parents or guardians.  

Senators Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) all joined Warren in sending the letter.