Hundreds of separated migrant children remain in New York

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - Some 700 children separated from their parents at the southern U.S. border are in New York State. They remain at the top of mind for city, state, and federal officials, who are all trying to learn more from an administration that is keeping them in the dark.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday accused President Trump of separating immigrant kids from their parents for political gain. He also said the president's latest suggestion to do away with immigration courts and judges is unconstitutional.

At City Hall, Mayor Bill de Blasio provided some updated figures for the city. He said his staff estimates about 300 of the separated children are being housed in New York City but that the feds won't say exactly how many or where they are or when they might be reunited with their parents.

Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Long Island Democrat, visited the MercyFirst facility in Syosset that was reported last week to house eight separated children. He said two more kids arrived over the weekend. He said the children are from Guatemala, Honduras, Brazil, and Nicaragua.

It is unclear if the new arrivals were separated after the president signed the executive order ending his separation policy, but Suozzi said the first eight children have had contact with their parents.

As New York leaders continue to put political pressure on the administration, other advocates are also going to court. The ACLU is asking a federal judge in San Diego to require federal authorities to reunite children with their families within 30 days, or 10 days if they are under 5.