When three‑year‑old Ederson Alva was force‑taken from his mother’s arms at the U.S.‑Mexico border in 2018, it was the start of a nightmare that would span years. The family was locked apart for months in a government facility, before lawyers fought to reunite them. Yet the tragedy repeated in June 2025 when Ederson and his mother were separated again, sent back to Guatemala while a federal judge’s order later overturned the illegal move.
Eight years after the Trump administration’s infamous forced separations ended, an Associated Press investigation reveals the government has re‑separated dozens of children from their families. This occurs even though the 2023 settlement that outlawed separations and set up paths to asylum, work permits and support has been in effect for eight years.
The settlement—named after a Congolese mother, Ms. L, who fought for her seven‑year‑old daughter—identified 11,800 families who were affected by the policy. Yet the AP data show many of those families were still being deported, detained or placed on removal orders, something that the administration claims still falls within its statutory authority.
Ederson’s case illustrates the human toll. After being sent to Guatemala, he returned to Florida only when a judge ordered the transfer back. But officials questioned his documents again upon arrival, reducing his stay to a two‑week humanitarian parole. He says the uncertainty makes his children fear the same fate will happen again.
The government’s response has been a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, saying it “complies with all court orders” and stressing removal of illegal aliens is “not optional.” Critics argue that this stance ignores the legal protections that are meant to keep families together.
And with deadlines approaching—family members must request removal orders be cancelled by December to remain in the U.S.—the situation remains precarious. The administration has not yet clarified whether it will extend legal services contracts that end in August.
Investigative reporting by AP partners. For additional tips, email [email protected] or use the Signal app at +1 (202) 281‑8604.
