US pulls out of settlement talks in family separation suits

By BEN FOX
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government has withdrawn from settlement negotiations to end lawsuits filed on behalf of parents and children who were forcibly separated under the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance border policy. Justice Department officials have informed lawyers for the plaintiffs that the government would not offer a global settlement in family separation cases. American Civil Liberties Union attorney Lee Gelernt says the department told lawyers the government would defend against each suit individually in court. The decision comes after eight months of negotiations and weeks after reports of a proposed settlement that would include payments of several hundred thousand dollars to each family sparked outrage among Biden administration critics.