A federal judge held another hearing Wednesday in the case of two immigrant children reunited with their parents in Connecticut after they were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The judge gave the plaintiffs until July 27 to decide if they wanted to continue the case. The children, a 14-year-old girl from El Salvador and a 9-year-old boy from Honduras, sued to be reunited with their parents. The families fled gang violence in their home countries. They’ve since been reunited in Connecticut, and both parents were present in court at the hearing.
Hannah Schoen, who is with the legal team that represents the children, said, “They are just starting to recover after months of separation and suffering. We are very grateful that the court gave our clients and our parents some time to determine what will be best for them. We are so grateful, above all that, they have been reunited.”
Both children have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Attorneys for the families say they’re still getting accustomed to freedom and life in the United States, but they’ve spent nearly all the past few days together.
The parents have been released on a six-month parole. They still face the threat of possible deportation in the future. Their attorneys say they’re working on getting them permanent relief in the United States.
