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mahatmakanejeeves

(57,393 posts)
Fri Oct 29, 2021, 12:17 PM Oct 2021

U.S. in Talks to Pay Hundreds of Millions to Families Separated at Border

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Omaha Steve (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: The Wall Street Journal.

WSJ NEWS EXCLUSIVE - POLITICS

U.S. in Talks to Pay Hundreds of Millions to Families Separated at Border

Government is considering payments of $450,000 per person affected by Trump administration's zero-tolerance policy in 2018

By Michelle Hackman, Aruna Viswanatha and Sadie Gurman
https://twitter.com/mhackman
https://twitter.com/aviswanatha
aruna.viswanatha@wsj.com
https://twitter.com/sgurman
sadie.gurman@wsj.com
Updated Oct. 28, 2021 6:03 pm ET

WASHINGTON--The Biden administration is in talks to offer immigrant families that were separated during the Trump administration around $450,000 a person in compensation, according to people familiar with the matter, as several agencies work to resolve lawsuits filed on behalf of parents and children who say the government subjected them to lasting psychological trauma.

The U.S. Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services are considering payments that could amount to close to $1 million a family, though the final numbers could shift, the people familiar with the matter said. Most of the families that crossed the border illegally from Mexico to seek asylum in the U.S. included one parent and one child, the people said. Many families would likely get smaller payouts, depending on their circumstances, the people said.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which represents families in one of the lawsuits, has identified about 5,500 children separated at the border over the course of the Trump administration, citing figures provided to it by the government. The number of families eligible under the potential settlement is expected to be smaller, the people said, as government officials aren't sure how many will come forward. Around 940 claims have so far been filed by the families, the people said.

The total potential payout could be $1 billion or more.

{snip}

Write to Michelle Hackman at michelle.hackman+1@wsj.com, Aruna Viswanatha at Aruna.Viswanatha@wsj.com and Sadie Gurman at sadie.gurman@wsj.com

Copyright 2021 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Appeared in the October 29, 2021, print edition as 'U.S. Is in Talks to Pay Families Split at Border.'

Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/biden-administration-in-talks-to-pay-hundreds-of-millions-to-immigrant-families-separated-at-border-11635447591



There's no paywall for this article, at least for me, this time.
11 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

Jimvanhise

(301 posts)
1. ACCOUNTABILITY?
Fri Oct 29, 2021, 12:29 PM
Oct 2021

Why aren't the Border Patrol agents who did this being held accountable? In 2018 a judge complained that there was no method of keeping track of the separated families so that children could eventually be reunited with their parents but the Border Patrol ignored him. "I was just following orders" has not been an acceptable defense for more than 60 years. They knew exactly what they were doing.

AZLD4Candidate

(5,680 posts)
2. My wife was denied entry and my family has been separated by US Government action
Fri Oct 29, 2021, 12:37 PM
Oct 2021

Does this apply to me as well, or just asylum seekers in Mexico?

OneCrazyDiamond

(2,031 posts)
3. They should send TFG the bill.
Fri Oct 29, 2021, 12:43 PM
Oct 2021
 

packman

(16,296 posts)
4. JEZUS H. CHRIST - I can hear Tucker's and Hannity's screams from here
Fri Oct 29, 2021, 12:47 PM
Oct 2021

This will be the right-wingers subject for their shows for months

To be honest- I feel conflicted about this. Yes, an injustice was done and needed/needs to be addressed. But 1/2 mill. to a mill$'s to an illegal that crossed our borders and was separated? Imagine when this is told and retold among those coming north.

NullTuples

(6,017 posts)
8. What the Trump administration did is considered crimes against humanity
Fri Oct 29, 2021, 01:12 PM
Oct 2021

Stealing children from their parents with no mechanism for them to be reunited.

And let's not forget that DeVos-run Christian adoption agencies literally sold some of those children.

Those families were wronged by the people of the United States.

Response to mahatmakanejeeves (Original post)

dweller

(23,628 posts)
6. Yeh, I heard this this morning on TND
Fri Oct 29, 2021, 12:58 PM
Oct 2021

which i turned to watch for grins: the newscaster said $400 hundred thousand 500 dollars … so I googled it and saw links to NY POST, NEWSWEEK, and CHANNEL 12 … now WSJ
🤔



✌🏻

TexasTowelie

(112,121 posts)
7. The conservative commentators will have a field day if this is true.
Fri Oct 29, 2021, 01:04 PM
Oct 2021

As terrible as the separation of families was during the zero-tolerance policy, a lot of people are going to equate these payments to immigrants as winning the lottery and it will encourage others to enter the country illegally. Paying nearly a half-million per person for psychological trauma may be enough to start another insurrection.

Reunite the families and reimburse their expenses for legal aid and anything related to the separation of the families. Let them request asylum and show compassionate care, but if they enter the company illegally and are not asylum seekers then deport them. They shouldn't be rewarded by the taxpayers for entering the country illegally.

PoliticAverse

(26,366 posts)
9. I wonder how long until "Biden to pay $ 450,000 to each illegal alien" starts appearing
Fri Oct 29, 2021, 01:42 PM
Oct 2021

in Republican ads.

mahatmakanejeeves

(57,393 posts)
10. The source was posted over 12 hours ago, so this thread is going to get locked.
Fri Oct 29, 2021, 02:10 PM
Oct 2021

I'm reposting it over in the Editorials & Other Articles forum.

U.S. in Talks to Pay Hundreds of Millions to Families Separated at Border

Hat tip to forum hosts for their assistance

Omaha Steve

(99,582 posts)
11. After a review by forum hosts....LOCKING
Fri Oct 29, 2021, 02:31 PM
Oct 2021

OVER the 12 hour old limit when posted.

Post the latest news from reputable mainstream news websites and blogs. Important news of national interest only. No analysis or opinion pieces. No duplicates. News stories must have been published within the last 12 hours. Use the published title of the story as the title of the discussion thread.

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