Joe Biden created a task force on Tuesday, February 2nd, in an attempt to reverse the damage that his predecessor caused to families that were separated at the border. This was among three executive orders, all aimed towards the goal of “eliminating a bad policy”.

Former President Trump’s policy was known as the “Zero-Tolerance” policy. This policy would prosecute any parents crossing the border. Their children would be separated from them and detained. This affected thousands of families. The process was heavily debated.

Families who were separated now have the chance to be reunited, but fear stands in the way of the possibility for many people. Many parents were afraid to come forward because if they did, they would have been detained as well.

A reunion is harder to reach for families with younger children because the children may not remember their parents’ names or what they look like. If the parents are too afraid to come forward as well, then it would be difficult to reunite this family.

Hopefully over time, the Biden Administration will gain the trust of the families who were separated and end up fulfilling their promise to help these families.

“As a child of immigrants, the issue at the border is important to me. I think that his efforts are important so that immigration, an already difficult situation, doesn’t have to be heartbreaking for families,” said Maria Meyer, a junior at ILS.

“I think it’s a really good idea that Biden is working to reunite immigrant families who were separated while Trump was President,” said Erin Swan, a junior at ILS, “ Breaking up the families really disregarded all their basic rights whether they were legal immigrants or not. I’m glad he is working to restore their basic human rights and right to life and respecting their attempt to seek a better life.”