A settlement between the US government and a mother and daughter who were separated at the US border in 2018 was approved on Wednesday by a Mecklenburg County judgeh.
According to court records obtained by WBTV, the girl has filed a claim against the government, alleging that her rights were violated during her approximately two-month detention by the US Office of Refugee Resettlement in 2018.
The agency provides care for children who are not legally authorized to stay in the United States.
Court records indicate that federal agents in Texas apprehended a girl and her mother, whose identities are protected by initials.
On May 9, 2018, the pair got separated, just a few days after then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions declared a zero tolerance policy that intended to separate children from adults who illegally entered the United States.
According to the court documents, the girl was reunited with her mother on July 21, 2018.
“The Minor Claimant claims that she was deprived of her constitutional rights and has suffered physical and emotional injury, humiliation, discrimination, emotional distress, physical pain, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of personal property, and other damages due to this separation,” her lawyer stated.
According to court documents, the federal government has agreed to compensate the pair with a payment of $270,000. It is worth mentioning that half of this amount will go to the girl, although her age is not specified in the court records.
The lawyer representing the girl declined to provide a comment on the matter. Furthermore, a spokeswoman from the US Department of Justice did not respond to a request seeking comment regarding the settlement.
