The White House killed a deal in 2019 to pay for mental healthcare for migrant families separated the border, NBC News is reporting.
The decision stopped the Justice Department from making that deal — part of a settlement of a federal lawsuit. NBC News, citing three sources, said the decision to reject the settlement was made by the Office of the White House Counsel after it consulted with senior adviser Stephen Miller.
The network news noted Miller is the driving force behind President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
"DOJ strongly, and unanimously, supported the settlement, but not all agencies involved were on the same page," an administration official said. "Ultimately, the settlement was declined at the direction of the White House counsel's office."
Another unnamed source said: "Ultimately, it was Stephen who prevailed. He squashed it."
But a White House official maintained: "Mr. Miller was not involved."
NBC News said the White House decision to reject the deal ended up costing taxpayers $6 million.
It came after months of negotiations had led to a settlement for screening and counseling thousands of migrants. The deal had been "agreed to in principle" by lawyers for the Justice Department and those representing the migrant families, said Mark Rosenbaum, an attorney representing the families.
"Many of these children thought their parents had deliberately abandoned them," he said. "The longer that trauma goes unredressed, the more severe the consequences."
The judge in the case ordered the government to pay for mental health services. The Justice Department appealed unsuccessfully.
Meanwhile, Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh had claimed last month that some kids who have been separated from parents at the border haven't been reunited because the parents don't want them back.
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Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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