US judge orders immediate release of detained Brazilian boy

A federal judge in Chicago today ordered the US government to release a 9-year-old Brazilian boy who was separated from his mother at the US-Mexico border, saying that their continued separation "irreparably harms them both."
"Judge Shah has vindicated the rule of law and taken a definitive step to allow Lidia's son to finally be with her again. We are hopeful that this outcome will benefit other families facing similar circumstances."
Shah wrote that he understood that volume of paperwork, filings and forms normally required before the government can release a child in its custody are intended to ensure the child's well-being. But, he said, "the government's interests in completing certain procedures to be sure that (Souza's child) is placed in a safe environment and in managing the response to ongoing class litigation do not outweigh the family's interest in reuniting."

The fitness of the mother in this case isn't questioned, he said, so dragging out processing "only serves to interfere in the family's integrity with little to no benefit to the government's interests."