18 July, 2018
A U.S. federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop immediate deportations of immigrant families. The order, which is enforced until at least July 24, would give families time to decide their next steps.
U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw of San Diego issued the order Monday after a court filing from the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU. The filing raised concerns that the government would try to immediately deport families when they were reunited. The ACLU argued that the families must have time to understand their legal rights and decide whether to apply for asylum.
Sabraw asked the government to respond before the next hearing on July 24. Until then, Sabraw stopped immediate deportations.
The Trump administration's policy of separating families led to condemnation around the world.
On June 20, Trump ended the policy as the court had ordered the government to reunite more than 2,500 children with their families by July 26.
Jorge Baron is executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. He said the ban on immediate deportations "buys us a little bit of time."
He said he was still unsure of whether contact has been made with all parents detained in his part of the country.
Baron's group has secured lawyers for many separated families in detention centers in Washington State. But even on Monday, he said, he learned of an immigrant mother who had not made contact with a lawyer. He believes that she might have gone ignored without the judge's order.
Many of the immigrants are fleeing violence in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
I'm Ashley Thompson.
This story includes information from VOA and Reuters. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.
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Words in This Story
filing – n. the act of giving something, such as an official form or a legal document, to someone in authority so that it can be considered
hearing – n. a meeting or session at which evidence and arguments are presented to a person or group who will decide on what action should be taken
lawsuit – n. a process by which a court of law makes a decision to end a disagreement between people or organizations