Were You Separated From Your Child?

A reunification process is available for families separated by the United States government between January 20, 2017 and January 20, 2021. Families can use the website of the Family Reunification Task Force, together.gov, to register and to qualify for certain services.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) will help all qualified families with this process. Parents, legal guardians, or children separated by the U.S. government at the U.S.-Mexico border between January 20, 2017 and January 20, 2021 may qualify to begin the reunification process and receive support services. Parents and children who were previously reunited and do not require reunification also qualify for these support services. Some U.S. citizen children who were separated can qualify for services as well.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against the US government in 2018 to stop the government from forcibly separating parents and children as they entered the United States. This lawsuit is known as Ms. L v. ICE. The Women’s Refugee Commission, Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), Justice in Motion, and the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, formed this court-appointed Ms. L Steering Committee to find families who were separated and to ensure reunifications.

Members of the Committee made thousands of phone calls to try to find families in this expanded class, but some families remain separated. To add to the challenge, hundreds of these parents were deported from the United States without their children. We believe that some families will never be reunited.

If you were separated from your child by the U.S. government between January 20, 2017 and January 20, 2021, you may contact the Family Reunification Task Force at its website below. The Family Reunification Task Force has created a process to reunite parents and children. You may also contact the American Civil Liberties Union, who won the legal case to create the Task Force.

Family Reunification Task Force: together.gov; juntos.gov
American Civil Liberties Union: familyseparation@aclu.org; +1 (646) 905-8892

Si estuviera separada de su hijo o hija por el gobierno de los Estados Unidos entre el 20 de enero del 2017 y el 20 de enero del 2021, el gobierno estadounidense creó el Family Reunification Task Force (Grupo Operativo para el Reencuentro Familiar). El Family Reunification Task Force estableció un proceso para que los padres se puedan reencontrar con sus familiares. Además, se puede contactar la American Civil Liberties Union (Unión Americana de Libertades Civiles).

Family Reunification Task Force: together.gov; juntos.gov
American Civil Liberties Union: familyseparation@aclu.org; +1 (646) 905-8892.