U.S. to reunite only half of young migrant children by Tuesday deadline

Undocumented immigrant families arrive at a respite center after being released from detention in McAllen, Texas, U.S., July 4, 2018. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

SAN DIEGO/WILMINGTON, Del. (Reuters) - The U.S. government is struggling to reunite immigrant families it separated at the border with Mexico and only about half the children under age 5 will be back with their parents by a court-ordered deadline of Tuesday, a government attorney told a judge on Monday.

U.S. Judge Dana Sabraw in San Diego last month ordered the government to reunite the approximately 100 children under the age of 5 by Tuesday, and the estimated 2,000 older children by July 26.