Immigrant parents separated from children appear in court

<p>Two parents who were reunited with their children after being separated at the U.S.-Mexico border appeared in Bridgeport federal court on Wednesday.</p>

News 12 Staff

Jul 18, 2018, 7:42 PM

Updated 2,271 days ago

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Two parents who were reunited with their children after being separated at the U.S.-Mexico border appeared in Bridgeport federal court on Wednesday.
The parents had smiles on their faces -- a huge change from a week ago, when they were seen via video conference from a detention center in Texas, wearing essentially jail uniforms. The judge even came down from the bench and shook the parents' hands.
The children had sued the federal government to be reunited, and immigration authorities released the parents on Monday.
Their legal team said Wednesday that the families are still figuring out exactly what their next step is.
One Stamford immigrant group, which talked to the families, says it hopes they stay in Connecticut.
"We're ready to support them," says Luis Yumbla, of United We Dream. "We're ready to help them with the housing.  We're ready to help them to find a job."
The kids and their parents will be back in Bridgeport federal court next week for an update.
The parents' parole is only good for six months. If they apply for asylum, they can most likely stay in the U.S. while their cases are pending. That process could take years.