Judge: U.S. must provide mental health services to migrant families

Abstract

Judge John A. Kronstadt of the United States District Court in Los Angeles ordered the federal government to immediately make available mental health screenings and treatment to thousands of families forcibly separated under the Trump administration's practice of separating families, which was primarily carried out in 2017 and 2018 — though hundreds of similar separations still occur, The New York Times reported Nov. 6. The decision, issued late Nov. 5, marks a rare instance of the government being held legally accountable for mental trauma brought about by its policies — in this case, border security measures that locked thousands of migrant parents in detention while their children were placed in government shelters or foster homes. In his ruling, Judge Kronstadt referred to previous federal cases that found that governments can be held liable when with “deliberate indifference” they place people in dangerous situations. The government declined to comment on the court's ruling.