Immigration and citizenship

Executive Order 14011: Establishment of Interagency Task Force on the Reunification of Families

President: Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Created a DHS-led interagency task force to identify and facilitate reunification of families separated under the prior zero-tolerance border policy.

Status: Revoked.

Is Executive Order 14011 still in effect? No. EO 14148, section 2(v), and EO 14159, section 2(a), expressly revoked EO 14011 on January 20, 2025. Its presidential task-force mandate ended; that is not a finding that every separated family was reunited or that independent court obligations, individual immigration cases or support arrangements ended. EO 14148, January 20, 2025; EO 14159, January 20, 2025.

A parent reaches toward a child beside a border fence, with officials reviewing documents in surrounding scenes.
Family reunification and agency coordination, illustrated symbolically; not a photograph or evidence of a specific reunification. EO Explained · site-generated editorial illustration · not documentary evidence.

What does Executive Order 14011 do?

EO 14011 created a DHS-led task force to identify children separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border from January 20, 2017, through January 20, 2021, in connection with the defined Zero-Tolerance Policy and related practices. It directed recommendations and coordination to facilitate reunification, not a blanket award of permanent immigration status or damages. Signed sections 2–4 and 7–8.

The work included consultation with children, parents and representatives about family preferences, parental rights and children’s well-being. Possible parole, visas, other benefits and support services depended on the agencies’ existing lawful authorities. The reporting clocks were separate from the task force’s original termination trigger: 30 days after its final mission-completion report, not 120 days after signing. Original scope and termination provisions.

Later primary evidence reviewed September 24, 2026: EO 14148 expressly revoked this order. EO 14159 expressly revoked this order. Official source 1 · Official source 2. The cited steps do not establish every downstream effect.

Administration position: The order’s findings and policy rationale were the Biden administration’s positions. This guide distinguishes them from implementation records and judicial rulings.
SignedFebruary 2, 2021
Lead officialsHomeland Security, State, HHS and Justice
Express timingInitial progress report within 120 days; recurring reports

Before and after

Before the order

Family-separation litigation and agency responsibilities predated the task force. DHS’s December 2021 notice describes a June 26, 2018 district-court reunification order and later expansion of the affected class. EO 14011 added a presidential interagency process; it did not create the original court case. DHS official litigation background.

After the order

DHS’s June 2021 newsletter records submission of an initial progress report, and the June 10 congressional hearing records agency testimony about identification and reunification work. These are dated implementation records, not proof of full completion. Both 2025 revocation orders ended the executive mandate. DHS report account; June 10, 2021 testimony.

EO 14159 expressly revoked this order.

Who had to do what

Agency / officialDirectionTiming
Homeland Security Secretary, as chairConvene meetings, direct the task force with the vice chairs, and organize subgroups.No separate numerical meeting deadline; section 3(b).
State Secretary and HHS Secretary, as vice chairsParticipate in task-force leadership and consultation with the chair.During the task force’s work; section 3.
Attorney General and designated or invited agency officialsParticipate in the task force; department heads designate additional representatives and concur in invitations.No separate numerical membership deadline; section 3.
Interagency task forceIdentify the specified separated children; facilitate reunification through recommendations on lawful agency or presidential authorities, support and appropriate additional relatives; consult affected families and their representatives.No single completion deadline; section 4(a)–(b).
Interagency task forceReport progress, recommend safeguards against repeating family-separation practices, and issue a final report.Initial progress within 120 days; interim reports every 60 days thereafter; prevention recommendations within one year; final report upon mission completion; section 4(c).
Department of Homeland SecurityProvide funding and administrative support as determined by the secretary.Subject to law and appropriations; no separate numerical deadline; section 5(a).
Other represented agencies and the task forceAgencies may detail staff or provide support; the task force coordinates with stakeholders and may hold public engagement sessions at the chair’s direction.As necessary or appropriate, within legal and funding limits; section 5(b)–(d).

Original signed sections 3–5. Permissive staffing and consultation roles are distinguished from mandatory reporting. The report clocks do not establish that every report was delivered.

What happened next

Biden signed the order and expressly revoked EO 13841 in section 6. Signed order.

The order was published at 86 FR 8273. Publication record.

DHS’s CRCL newsletter reported that the initial progress report had been submitted. This source establishes the month, not the report’s precise delivery day. DHS June newsletter.

Agency testimony to Congress described approximately 4,000 identified children and continuing reunification work. This was an agency-reported identification figure at that time, not a current total or number of completed reunifications. Official hearing record.

DHS published a request for input on preventing future family separation, with comments due January 10, 2022. Seeking input was not issuance of the final recommendations report. DHS request for input.

EO 14148 section 2(v) and EO 14159 section 2(a) expressly revoked EO 14011. EO 14148.

; EO 14159.

Later primary evidence reviewed: EO 14148 expressly revoked this order. EO 14159 expressly revoked this order.