US judge extends deadline to reunite migrant children
Washington, July 10 : A US federal judge has agreed to extend Tuesday's deadline for the government to reunite 102 migrant children under the age of five who were separated from their parents under President Donald Trump's "zero tolerance" policy.
On Monday, Judge Dana Sabraw asked government attorneys to provide an update by Tuesday morning on which children will be reunited and who will require more time, and to deliver a proposed timeline for reuniting the remaining children with their parents, reports NBC News.
During the conference in a federal court in San Diego, Sabraw said he recognised that some cases "will necessitate additional time."
Sarah Fabian, an attorney for the Justice Department, said she expects that 54 out of 102 children will be reunited with their parents on Tuesday.
The government requested a deadline extension on July 6, telling Sabraw it would be able to reunite only about half of the children by the court's first deadline of Tuesday because it could not locate many of the parents.
On Monday, Fabian said nine of the parents have been deported and nine have been released, making them more difficult to track down.
Other parents have criminal records that will keep them from being reunited, the attorney added.
The government's difficulty in reuniting migrant children with their parents has caused outrage among immigration and child welfare advocates who warned against separation, NBC News reported.
From May 7 to June 20, the US Customs and Border Protection was instructed to prosecute any adult immigrant caught crossing the border illegally, thereby sending parents to federal custody while children were taken into the care of the Health and Human Services.
The agency has said nearly 3,000 children need to be reunited as a result of Sabraw's order that all children separated from their parents be reunited, even those who were taken before the policy went into place.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the agency is searching for parents through various government databases.
On Saturday, at Sabraw's request, the government provided a list of the 102 children under the age of five who said they had been separated from their parents by Border Patrol, along with any information on their parent's whereabouts.
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Railway minister announces launch of Kavach 5.0 for Mumbai's suburban trains
New Delhi (PTI): Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday announced the upcoming launch of the automatic train protection system Kavach 5.0 for Mumbai's suburban trains.
The railway ministry said the state-of-the-art safety and signalling system has been tailored for the suburban section in Mumbai.
"Kavach 5.0 is expected to significantly reduce the inter-train headway, enabling more trains to run safely and efficiently," it said.
Vaishnaw, along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, interacted with reporters to highlight the transformative progress in railway infrastructure across the state.
According to the railway ministry, Vaishnaw emphasised that infrastructure development is the cornerstone for increasing suburban services and projects worth nearly Rs 17,000 crore, covering more than 300 kilometres of new lines, are currently underway at a rapid pace.
"These initiatives aim to decongest existing lines, improve service frequency and cater to the ever-growing demand of Mumbai's suburban commuters," the ministry said.
Announcing a major upgrade in passenger comfort, Vaishnaw said 238 new air-conditioned suburban rakes, uniquely designed keeping in mind the needs of Mumbai's commuters, would soon be introduced.
"A major announcement during the interaction was the doubling of the Gondia-Ballarshah railway line, a 240-km strategic corridor, with an investment of Rs 4,819 crore," the ministry said.
"This key project connects Vidarbha and Marathwada, easing congestion and enabling faster passenger and freight movement. It will also strengthen Maharashtra's rail links with Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, boosting regional trade and integration," it added.
This infrastructure push was announced on April 7, when the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved four projects of the railway ministry with a total cost of Rs 18,658 crore.
