Biden Rejects $450,000 Payments for Separated Migrants

Politics|Biden Rejects $450,000 Payments for Separated Migrants

WASHINGTON — President Biden connected Wednesday said migrants separated from household members astatine the borderline would not person hundreds of thousands of dollars for the harm inflicted by the Trump-era policy, rejecting an enactment for monetary compensation that had been floated successful negotiations with lawyers representing the families.

Representatives of the migrant families and authorities officials had discussed giving families $450,000 for each subordinate affected by erstwhile President Donald J. Trump’s “zero tolerance” policy, which led to the separation of astir 5,500 children from their parents, according to radical acquainted with the matter. But erstwhile asked connected Wednesday astir compensating the migrants, Mr. Biden denied the enactment was connected the table.

“$450,000 per person? Is that what you’re saying?” Mr. Biden said erstwhile asked by Fox News newsman Peter Doocy astir the payments. “That’s not going to happen.”

Mr. Biden made the remark arsenic helium took questions aft touting the forthcoming availability of vaccines for children. The remark was swiftly condemned by the American Civil Liberties Union, which is negotiating connected behalf of the separated families.

“If helium follows done connected what helium said, the president is abandoning a halfway run committedness to bash justness for the thousands of separated families,” Anthony Romero, the enforcement manager the A.C.L.U., said successful a statement. “We respectfully punctual President Biden that helium called these actions ‘criminal’ successful a statement with then-President Trump, and campaigned connected remedying and rectifying the lawlessness of the Trump administration.”

Mr. Romero besides acknowledged that Mr. Biden whitethorn person been caught disconnected defender by the question and whitethorn not person been alert of the details of ongoing negotiations with the Justice Department.

The comments, however, besides amounted to the 2nd clip successful caller weeks the president has spoken astir pending Justice Department actions. After Mr. Trump repeatedly interfered successful the department’s affairs, Mr. Biden made restoring independency to the bureau 1 of his goals.

Asked astir the president’s remark connected Wednesday, Dena Iverson, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department, said “the section volition not remark connected ongoing litigation.”

Mr. Biden said past period that the Justice Department should prosecute those who defy subpoenas from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 onslaught connected the Capitol, a remark helium aboriginal walked backmost during a CNN municipality hall.

“The mode I said it was not appropriate,” Mr. Biden said.

In the negotiations with the administration, which were archetypal reported by The Wall Street Journal, lawyers representing the migrants person argued that the United States authorities wronged the families by separating parents from children. In summation to fiscal compensation, the A.C.L.U. is besides trying to scope a colony with the authorities that would provide, among different things, a pathway for the families to stay successful the United States and person societal services.

The Biden administration’s handling of rising amerciable borderline crossings has received disapproval from Democrats and Republicans alike. To contend with the grounds fig of crossings, Mr. Biden has continued to usage a Trump-era borderline argumentation that rapidly turns distant galore migrants astatine the borderline without providing them a accidental to inquire for asylum successful the United States. The medication has said the argumentation is indispensable to incorporate the ongoing pandemic.

The deterrent attack has besides prompted fierce debate wrong the administration, with immoderate of Mr. Biden’s apical aides favoring stronger policies to incorporate the crossings, portion others enactment a much welcoming stance to marque bully connected the president’s run pledge of restoring an asylum programme astatine the southwest border.