Asylum-Seeking Mother Reunited With Daughter At LAX
LAX (CBSLA) — An emotional reunion took place at LAX Sunday as a mother separated from her daughter under the zero tolerance policy on immigration came back together.
CBSLA's Adrianna Weingold reports that everyone there who watched the reunion was in tears after Perla Alemengor de Velasquez, 39, was reunited with her 12-year-old daughter Yoselin after being apart for about a month.
The mother and daughter had been forcibly separated at a detention center after seeking asylum from Guatemala.
The 12-year-old has been held in Corpus Christi, Texas at a detention center for children for about a month without any family present.
They crossed the border together around May 19 seeking asylum from violence in their country.
They were taken to a detention center in Arizona near the Mexico border and that is when they were separated in the middle of the night.
The mother's attorney Mario Williams said that the father was right outside of the arrivals area and was excited to be reunited with his daughter.
Perla had been held in custody. She was released on bond on Tuesday. Her lawyers did file a lawsuit against the Trump Administration that is part of why her daughter Yoselin was released.
The mother-daughter reunion only focused more attention on a policy that was protested around the world and the US in more than 750 places Saturday.
KCAL9's Crystal Cruz reports that Reuters is saying the number of parents and children who were separated at the border is about 1,800.
A US Custom and Border Protection official testified last month that nearly 660 children were separated from their parents between May 6 and May 19.
While many are moved by the reunions between parent and child, one group makes it clear they still want to see the law upheld.
"Our American government needs to focus on the needs of Americans, we have homeless, we have homeless veterans, we have foster children in great need. Where are the protests for our American citizens who are in need? As I said before, these parents would not be putting their children in this position of being separated from them if they entered the country illegally even if they're seeking asylum," said Arthur Schaper with a group called We The People Rising.
