US court orders minors to be reunited with parents in 30 days
Washington, June 27 : A court in the US has ordered the government to reunite hundreds of separated minors with their parents within 30 days, in a first major rebuke to the Trump administration during ongoing furore over family separations at the border.
The court order on late Tuesday asked federal officials to stop detaining parents apart from their minor children, absent a determination the parent is unfit or the parent declines reunification; reunify all parents with their children under the age of 5 within 14 days and reunify all parents with their children age 5 and older within 30 days.
The order by federal judge of the court in San Diego (California), Dana Sabraw, also mandated that officials let parents contact their children by phone within 10 days, if the parent is not already in contact with his or her child, CNN reported.
Since the US started in April its controversial "zero tolerance" strategy against immigration -- that was suspended last week over strong criticism from several quarters -- the government led by President Donald Trump separated 2,575 minors from their parents at the Mexico border.
Sabraw's verdict came in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of two women, one from Congo, who was separated from her seven-year-old daughter, and the other from Brazil, who was separated from her 14-year-old son.
The judge also suspended the deportation of parents, who remained separated from their children. The judge described the separation of families as a "chaotic circumstance of the government's own making".
Sabraw's decision could help clear the confusion created by an order issued last week by Trump to stop separation of families at the border, but without clear instructions about how to reunite them.
The government's decision to suspend separation of families had come after global outrage over images of children being imprisoned in different facilities, often resembling cages.
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Deve Gowda extends full support to decisions taken by PM to punish perpetrators of terror attack
Bengaluru (PTI): Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Tuesday said that he and his party-- JD(S) -- extend full support to the decisions that will be taken by PM Narendrra Modi and the central government to punish the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack and those behind them.
The JD(S) patriarch said that politics should not be mixed in this matter and everyone should "extend the support of unity" to the decisions taken by the PM and the Centre.
"Regarding the Kashmir incident, the central government will take a decision. For the first time terrorists have indulged in such a violent act on tourists. The government has information in its hands that the terrorist attack was carried out with the support of Pakistan," Gowda said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the entire country and its 140 crore people have said in one voice that they will support the action that will be taken by the central government under the leadership of PM Modi.
"I as a citizen, as the President of JD(S) which is part of the NDA and a member of Rajya Sabha, along with our Minister in the cabinet H D Kumaraswamy and our party's floor leader and MP Mallesh Babu have said that we extend full support to all decisions that will be taken by the central government on this matter," he said.
India has turned up the heat on Pakistan with what is seen as retaliatory measures after the carnage in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 that left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead.
Responding to a question about whether he received any call from the PM following the incident, Gowda said he had not received any call, and if need be, he would share his opinion in writing.
To a question on discussions about war and his opinion on waging a war against Pakistan, Gowda said he cannot say as of now as to what will happen in the future, and the PM will take a decision depending on the situation, and the entire country has faith in it.
"Modi's leadership is respected by the entire country and around the world. Several countries and its leaders, including US President Donald Trump, have condemned the incident and have extended support for India," he said.
Further stating that politics should not be mixed in the issue, the former PM said everyone should "extend the support of unity" to the decision taken by the prime minister.
"We should show our unity. Such incidents should not happen in the future for any reason. The perpetrators should be found and punished and those behind it should also be punished. In this regard what decision the PM, Defence Minister and Home Minister takes, my party and I are committed to it," he added.
Asked about some Congress leaders trying to mix politics in the issue and his advice to them, Gowda said AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge has already said that his party will stand by the prime minister.
"As a senior leader, what he (Kharge) has said has value. I don't want to say more. I think Congress' cooperation is also there," he added.
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