Thread by @lomikriel

This is Blanca. She was one of hundred of parents separated from their children in a secretive 2017 El Paso pilot, in which the government threatened to prosecute parents who tried to fight back for human smuggling (1)

I wrote about Blanca’s case in 2017 and she seemed like a textbook case for asylum. After my story, @aldea_pjc
managed to get her reunited with her kid, but the other parents in her case were deported without their children. Now, they can’t be found (2)
houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

Her case was the first public account of family separation. 'Although the Defendants are only currently charged with the misdemeanor offense of illegal entry, their admitted conduct satisfies the elements of the felony offense of alien smuggling.' (3)
houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

After an October 2020 court filing, we now know 545 parents from the El Paso pilot have yet to be found as well.
‘nytimes.com/2020/10/21/us/… (4)

They may or may not include parents such as Elba Dominguez, who told me in 2018 that she would “never be OK again” after being deported without her daughter. (5)
houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t…

Had it not been for his federal public defender, who knows when Esteban Pastor would have seen his toddler again.
“I cried. I begged,” he said. “No one could tell me anything.”
houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-t… (6)

.@MelissaLaLinea has a searing & GREAT recap of the El Paso case on family separations here, which I covered in court, and the role of the Western District of Texas public defender, Maureen Franco and her AFPD, Sergio Garcia.
theintercept.com/2020/11/01/el-… (7)

.@HouseJudiciary just released a report on family separations incl the El Paso pilot, which the Trump admin refused to acknowledge for years, dragging out releasing names of parents - meaning 3 years later it’s even harder for advocates to find them.
judiciary.house.gov/news/documents… (8)

545 parents from El Paso pilot haven't been reached. They aren't necc. missing, but haven’t yet been located. Govn't can't find them. But also hasn't tried. It has been up to an ad hoc steering committee, including @JusticeInMotion @wrcommission etc
kqed.org/news/11831289/… (9)

US prosecutors, incl. Texans @USAttyPatrick & John Bash, who recently left top job in Western District for @quinnemanuel, knew what was happening, in some cases voiced concern or tried to push back, but it happened under their watch, per @JusticeOIG
nytimes.com/2020/10/06/us/… (10)

Separations have ended as official policy, but now most migrants are expelled without an asylum interview or hearing. Including children who are alone. Many are sent back to harm or dropped off on other side of border - even if they're not from there.
propublica.org/article/her-ra… (11)

.@itscaitlinhd confirmed this wasn't rare from @CBP email: 'If not corrected, these actions will place Title 42 operations in significant jeopardy and must be ceased immediately.' nytimes.com/2020/10/30/us/… (12)

When they're expelled, many land in this camp on US border or disappear into potential danger where advocates can't reach them. Mexico blamed the US, 'but declined to designate refugee camps w/ the UN which could provide infrastructure' @itscaitlinhd (13)
nytimes.com/2020/10/23/us/…

What does this all mean with the elections? @DLind has you covered in a full recap of how we got here and what *might* be next: (14)
propublica.org/article/trump-…