Biden: Families of separated children deserve compensation

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Saturday that the families of children separated from their parents at the US-Mexico border during the Trump administration should be compensated, as his Department of Justice is in settlement talks with affected families.

Raising his voice, Biden said that regardless of the circumstances, people who had their children taken from them under the Trump administration's family separation policy, meant to deter families from crossing into the US illegally, should be remunerated.

“If, in fact, because of the outrageous behaviour of the last administration, you coming across the border, whether it was legally or illegally, and you lost your child — You lost your child. It's gone — you deserve some kind of compensation, no matter what the circumstance,” Biden said. 

“What that will be I have no idea. I have no idea.”

Shortly after taking office Biden created a task force to attempt to reunify hundreds of children and parents affected by the policy, which was in place for several months during 2018 and sparked a domestic and international outcry.

The government was considering payments of around $450,000 to each person affected but has since changed the figure, though not dramatically, a person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press. 

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are private.

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.