Arizona is one of the locations nationwide where local groups are tasked with helping migrant parents after theyβve been reunified with their children as the government works to comply with a judgeβs order.
In terms of physical condition, βThey seem to be good,β said Connie Phillips, president and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest in Phoenix. But the families her group has received are very βsubdued,β she said.
βThey seem to be grateful to be back to their children, they are just relieved, but mostly they are quiet.β
The organization has so far received about 80 families since Monday. Itβs been told there were about 300 parents being held at the Eloy Detention Center who could be reunited with their children by July 26.
The Lutheran Social Services staff assesses the families when they arrive to find out what their needs are and where they are going, Phillips said. They offer the families food and clothing, help them get in touch with relatives, make travel arrangements and help the migrants understand their court paperwork and their next appointments.
Due to limited detention space, the families are being released with a notice to appear before an immigration official at their final destination, usually where they have a relative or close friend who can serve as a sponsor. In some cases, they wear an ankle-monitoring bracelet so Immigration and Customs Enforcement can track them.
This is similar to what two shelters do in Tucson with families who crossed the Southern Arizona border illegally or presented themselves at the port of entry, but this is the first time in this role for the Phoenix group, Phillips said.
βOur mission is showing kindness, doing justice and serving those in need,β and doing this work is an extension of that, she said.
Staff from the organizationβs Tucson office have also been assisting, especially on the weekends, she said, and theyβve received support from congregations across the state.
βItβs been gratifying to see people come together,β Phillips said, and she is glad these families are being reunited. βMany are saying they havenβt seen their children in two-and-a-half months, which is a long time to be away from your parent or child,β she said.
Health and Human Services officials have said there are 2,551 minors 5 to 17 years old in their custody who could potentially have been separated from a parent and subject to the court order to be reunited.
The three federal agencies involved β HHS, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice β are working together to reunite the rest of the children with their parents.
The process includes background checks, making sure the parents are accurately identified, that reunification doesnβt pose a danger to the minor and an in-person interview, agencies said in a news release this week.
