Federal Judge Prohibits Separating Migrant Families at US Border for 8 Years

A federal judge has issued a ruling prohibiting the separation of families at the U.S. border for eight years, effectively blocking the potential resumption of the controversial Trump-era policy. The judge described the separation of families as one of the most shameful chapters in U.S. history and approved a settlement between the Justice Department and families represented by the ACLU, ending a legal challenge that had been ongoing for nearly seven years. The settlement prohibits the "zero-tolerance" policy that resulted in over 5,000 children being separated from their parents until December 2031, with limited exceptions. The government and volunteers are still searching for 68 children who were separated under the policy.