In Child Separation Lawsuit, Attorney General Becerra Submits 16 Declarations Showing Harm, Files Motion to Compel Trump Administration to Disclose Information

Monday, July 2, 2018
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

In lawsuit co-led with Washington and Massachusetts, AG Becerra asks court for permission to obtain information on an expedited basis from the federal government

AG Becerra submits 16 declarations providing support that child separation policy is causing irreparable harm to children, families, and communities

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced that he has filed a motion for expedited discovery to compel information from the Trump Administration in the lawsuit over the cruel and unlawful policy of forcibly separating children from their parents without any legitimate justification.

“The Trump Administration owes us all answers over this cruel and immoral child separation policy,” said Attorney General Xavier Becerra. “We are asking the court to allow us to take this case to the next level by requiring the federal government and others involved in the illegal separation of children to provide us answers, quickly. We are not alone; we are supported by experts, public officials, and parents who know firsthand how important it is to reunite children with their families. Today we are presenting evidence of the harms to our State, and asking the court to grant us permission to move our case forward swiftly—so we can do our job to protect these children and stop the harm to families and our communities nationwide.”

The motion for expedited discovery was filed in an effort to gather evidence from the federal government early in the process as this case proceeds. In addition to seeking further information from the Trump Administration, Attorney General Becerra also submitted 16 declarations to support the motion for expedited discovery.

Attorney General Becerra is co-leading the lawsuit with Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. The complaint filed by their coalition of 18 attorneys general alleges that the Trump Administration’s child separation policy violates the fundamental due process rights of parents to be together with their children, equal protection rights afforded to parents and their children, as well as other constitutional and statutory claims.

A copy of the motion for expedited discovery is attached to the electronic version of this press release here.

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