Families separated at the border under the Trump administration may soon be eligible for payments of nearly half a million dollars.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department is in talks to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to each child and parent who was separated under a Trump-era practice of splitting families at the border, a person familiar with discussions to settle lawsuits said Thursday.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that the government was considering payments around $450,000 to each person affected. A person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press that figure was under consideration but changed, though not dramatically. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are private.
The discussions continue, and there is no guarantee the two sides will strike agreement.
About 5,500 children were split from their parents under President Donald Trump's "zero tolerance" policy, under which parents were separated from their children to face criminal prosecution for crossing the border illegally, according to court filings in a federal case in San Diego. Inadequate tracking systems caused many to be apart for an extended time. The payments are intended to compensate for the psychological trauma.
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Attorneys for the families are also seeking permanent legal status in the United States for those separated under the practice, which a judge halted in June 2018, six days after Trump stopped it amid an international backlash.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday night.
The settlement talks involve several law firms. The American Civil Liberties Union is representing parents in the San Diego case.
The National Immigration Litigation Alliance represents five mothers and their children who were separated for more than two months, including four children who were sent to holding facilities in New York. A federal judge in Arizona denied the government's bid to dismiss the case last year.
"No amount of money can compensate for the amount of pain and suffering these parents and children endured under this unconscionable and unprecedented policy," said Trina Realmuto, executive director of the National Immigration Litigation Alliance.
A Justice Department inspector general's report in January said a "single-minded focus on increasing immigration prosecutions came at the expense of careful and appropriate consideration of the impact of family unit prosecutions and child separations."
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Photos: Scenes from the US-Mexico border during height of migrant crossings in March
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle is seen next to migrants after they were detained and taken into custody, Sunday, March 21, 2021, in Abram-Perezville, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A migrant child looks through the U.S.-Mexico border wall as a group is processed and taken into custody while trying to sneak across the border, Sunday, March 21, 2021, in Abram-Perezville, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Migrants walk from an intake tent to a respite center after being released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, Friday, March 19, 2021, in McAllen, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
In this photo taken by a drone, the border wall construction is seen near farmland as a tractor plows a field, Friday, March 19, 2021, in Progreso, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Migrants who were caught trying to sneak into the United States and deported rest under a ramp that leads to the McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge point of entry into the U.S., Thursday, March 18, 2021, in Reynosa, Mexico. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A migrant's muddy shoes are seen without laces as he walks off the customs checkpoint in Reynosa, Mexico, after being deported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, Thursday, March 18, 2021. Migrants are forced to give up their shoelaces as a security measure after being taken into custody. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A migrant boy, center, launches a paper airplane while playing with other migrant kids at a plaza near the McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge point of entry into the U.S., after being caught trying to sneak into the U.S. and deported, Thursday, March 18, 2021, in Reynosa, Mexico. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Two men are seen handcuffed together before being put in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection van near the U.S.-Mexico border, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Hidalgo, Texas. As migrants surge at the U.S.-Mexico border, President Joe Biden’s administration has been caught on its heels and is now scrambling to manage a humanitarian and political challenge. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Migrant children are seen with adults as they wait in line to get a COVID-19 test before given travel instructions at a bus station, Wednesday, March 17, 2021, in Brownsville, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Larissa Bautista Hernandez, 2, a migrant from Honduras, looks toward a road as a taxi cab arrives arrives to transport her and her parents to another location at a bus station, Wednesday, March 17, 2021, in Brownsville, Texas. Bautista Hernandez's family is seeking asylum from the U.S. and is getting help from Team Brownsville, a humanitarian group, to reach their final destination with her uncle in South Carolina. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Luis Miguel Fajardo, 10, a migrant from El Salvador who was caught trying to sneak into the United States and deported, is barefoot as he plays with a yoyo at a plaza near a point of entry into the U.S., Thursday, March 18, 2021, in Reynosa, Mexico. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A man stands with a boy in a gazebo at a park after a large group of deportees were pushed by Mexican authorities off an area they had been staying after their expulsion from the U.S., Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Reynosa, Mexico. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Melanie Diaz, 7, a migrant from Honduras, plays with a doll at a park after a large group of deportees were pushed by Mexican authorities off an area they had been staying after their expulsion from the U.S., Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Reynosa, Mexico. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Migrants rest in a gazebo at a park after a large group of deportees were pushed by Mexican authorities off an area they had been staying after their expulsion from the U.S., Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Reynosa, Mexico. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Rogelio Pop, 26, left, a migrant from Guatemala, hugs his son Andy Pop, 5, at a respite center hosted by a humanitarian group after they were released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Brownsville, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Freddy Alexi Acosta, 1, right, a migrant from Honduras, reacts while talking with Fredy Antonio Garcia as they wait inside a respite center after they were taken into custody and released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection while trying to sneak into the U.S., Friday, March 19, 2021, in McAllen, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Misael Cuyuch, 23, a migrant from Guatemala, walks with his son, Rodrigo Cuyuch, 1, inside a respite center after they were taken into custody and released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection while trying to sneak into the U.S., Friday, March 19, 2021, in McAllen, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Dany Vargas Rodriguez, 10, a migrant from Honduras, plays with a car he was gifted at a plaza near the McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge point of entry into the United States after he and his family were caught trying to sneak into the U.S. and deported, Thursday, March 18, 2021, in Reynosa, Mexico. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A migrant who was caught trying to sneak into the United States and deported, looks at his cellphone near the McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge point of entry into the U.S., Thursday, March 18, 2021, in Reynosa, Mexico. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Migrants are seen in custody at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing area under the Anzalduas International Bridge, Friday, March 19, 2021, in Mission, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
FILE - In this Friday, March 19, 2021, photo migrants are seen in a green area outside of a soft-sided detention center after they were taken into custody while trying to sneak into the U.S. in Donna, Texas. The Biden administration is facing growing questions about why it wasn't more prepared for an influx of migrants at the southern border. The administration is scrambling to build up capacity to care for 14,000 young undocumented migrants now in federal custody — and more likely on the way. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
Santiago Lopez Paz, 3, a migrant from Honduras, stands in a respite center hosted by a humanitarian group after he and his family were released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Brownsville, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents take into custody people near the U.S.-Mexico border, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Hidalgo, Texas. As migrants surge at the U.S.-Mexico border, President Joe Biden’s administration has been caught on its heels and is now scrambling to manage a humanitarian and political challenge. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Two men are seen handcuffed together as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent pats them down before putting in a van while taking them into custody near the U.S.-Mexico border, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Hidalgo, Texas. As migrants surge at the U.S.-Mexico border, President Joe Biden’s administration has been caught on its heels and is now scrambling to manage a humanitarian and political challenge. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
In this photo taken by a drone, a group of migrants make their way across a field after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, Sunday, March 21, 2021, in Mission, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Larissa Bautista Hernandez, 2, second from left, a migrant from Honduras, is carried by her mother, Irma Hernandez, left, as her father, Jose Frankis Bautista, right, heads into a taxi cab at a bus station, Wednesday, March 17, 2021, in Brownsville, Texas. The family is seeking asylum from the U.S. and is getting help from Team Brownsville, a humanitarian group, to reach their final destination with Bautista's brother in South Carolina. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A migrant woman and child exit a U.S. Customs and Border Protection van while being released from custody at a bus station, Wednesday, March 17, 2021, in Brownsville, Texas. Team Brownsville, a humanitarian group, is helping migrants seeking asylum with clothing and food as well as transportation to the migrant's final destination in the U.S. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Alessia Lorenzo, an 8-month-old migrant from Honduras, sits with her father Darwin Lorenzo, 27, left, and her mother Wendy Monroy, 23, as they wait for transportation to Fort Walton, Fla., after being released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, Wednesday, March 17, 2021, in Brownsville, Texas. Team Brownsville, a humanitarian group, is helping migrants seeking asylum with clothing and food as well as transportation to the migrant's final destination in the U.S. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Migrants, who were caught trying to sneak into the United States, are led by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent, second from left, at the McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge while being deported to Reynosa, Mexico, Thursday, March 18, 2021, in Hidalgo, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Migrants' muddy shoes are seen without laces as they walk off the customs checkpoint in Reynosa, Mexico, after being deported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, Thursday, March 18, 2021. Migrants are forced to give up their shoelaces as a security measure after being taken into custody. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Franklin Reyes, right, a migrant from Honduras, uses a dampened T-shirt to clean the pants of his 7-year-old son, Joshuan Reyes, after they were deported by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Thursday, March 18, 2021, in Reynosa, Mexico. The father and son have spent two nights in a plaza near the Mexico customs office off the McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge while trying to figure out their next move. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A group of migrants rest on a gazebo at a park after the deportees from the U.S. were pushed by Mexican authorities off an area they had been staying after their expulsion, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Reynosa, Mexico. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A migrant is seen inside of a van near a respite center after being released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, Friday, March 19, 2021, in McAllen, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Migrants are seen in custody at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing area under the Anzalduas International Bridge, Friday, March 19, 2021, in Mission, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
FILE - In this Friday, March 19, 2021, photo migrants carry children while in custody at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing area under the Anzalduas International Bridge, in Mission, Texas. The Biden administration is facing growing questions about why it wasn't more prepared for an influx of migrants at the southern border. The administration is scrambling to build up capacity to care for 14,000 young undocumented migrants now in federal custody — and more likely on the way. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
FILE - In this Friday, March 19, 2021, photo migrants are seen in a green area outside of a soft-sided detention center after they were taken into custody while trying to sneak into the U.S., in Donna, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
A migrant woman cries as she talks on a cellphone at a park after she and a large group of deportees from the U.S. were pushed by Mexican authorities off an area they had been staying after their expulsion, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Reynosa, Mexico. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A migrant man adjusts a tiara on a girl at a respite center hosted by a humanitarian group after they were released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Brownsville, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A migrant woman cleans the face of a child a respite center hosted by a humanitarian group after they were released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Brownsville, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, center, instruct a migrants to walk toward the McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge while deporting them to Mexico, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Hidalgo, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A migrant wears a face mask to protect against COVID-19 while walking off a U.S. Customs and Border Protection bus at the McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge while deported to Mexico, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Hidalgo, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Leticia Iglesias, a migrant from Honduras, sits with her special needs daughter at a respite center hosted by a humanitarian group after they were released from U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Brownsville, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents take into custody people near the U.S.-Mexico border, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Hidalgo, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Two men are seen handcuffed together before being put in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection van near the U.S.-Mexico border, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Hidalgo, Texas. As migrants surge at the U.S.-Mexico border, President Joe Biden’s administration has been caught on its heels and is now scrambling to manage a humanitarian and political challenge. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent, left, leads two men into a van while taking them into custody near the U.S.-Mexico border, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in Hidalgo, Texas. As migrants surge at the U.S.-Mexico border, President Joe Biden’s administration has been caught on its heels and is now scrambling to manage a humanitarian and political challenge. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer talks to migrants after they were detained and taken into custody, Sunday, March 21, 2021, in Abram-Perezville, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle is seen next to migrants after they were detained and taken into custody, Sunday, March 21, 2021, in Abram-Perezville, Texas. A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem but insisted it's under control and said he won't revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
