Immigration

Migrant Families Sue Trump Administration For Mental Health Costs

Lawyers for three migrant children say separating kids from their families "will affect their mental and emotional well-being for years to come."

Migrant Families Sue Trump Administration For Mental Health Costs
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Migrant families separated at the U.S. border under the so-called zero-tolerance policy are now suing the Trump administration.

The class-action lawsuit was filed in Massachusetts on Wednesday.

It's seeking money to pay for mental health care for three Guatemalan children, in addition to unspecified damages. The suit argues separating the children from their parents "was life altering and it will continue to affect their mental and emotional well-being for years to come."

The children's lawyers said of the Trump administration, "There is no doubt that Defendants were aware of the severe psychological and emotional trauma that forcibly separating children from their parents would cause." 

The suit also claims the children were called names, including "trash" and "donkeys," by immigration officials, and that at least one child has night terrors because of the ordeal.

The lawyers reportedly also want a judge to create a class that would include at least 2,500 other separated children. As of Aug. 30, nearly 500 were still in government custody.

Additional reporting by Newsy affiliate CNN.