At least 471 parents were deported from the United States without their children, according to new court filings. The Trump administration previously admitted that parents were removed from the country without their children, but the latest report from a family-separation lawsuit provides an updated count. The document states some of the parents were deported “without being given the opportunity to elect or waive reunification” in accordance with a court order in June 2018 that forced the government to better document waivers, CNN reports. But a Department of Homeland Security spokesman says, prior to the order, separated parents were routinely asked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement if they wished to be reunited with their children before being deported. The filings also provide an update on reunifications: 2,741 of 2,816 children have been discharged from government care, up six from the last count in February.
