Yeni González was separated from her three young children when she illegally crossed the border into the United States. Her two sons and one daughter are among the 2,000 children of migrants taken from their families. VOA follows González on her quest to overcome legal hurdles to be reunited with her children who are now being held in a distant detention center.

ON THIS DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress officially severs ties between the American colonies and Great Britain, but the wording of the formal Declaration of Independence is not published until two days later, on July 4. (Photo: The first printed version of the Declaration of Independence printed by John Dunlap of Philadelphia, the printer to the Continental Congress.)

VIDEO: Knocking on doors is an American political tradition. Candidates often go door-to-door in their districts, speaking with voters at home, hoping these one-on-one encounters will help drum up support for their candidacy. Candidates are fanning out this summer ahead of primary elections, which determine which major party candidates will advance to run for office in the midterm elections in November. VOA follows a Maryland state official as he heads out to knock on doors.

VIDEO: When does political debate go too far? It’s a question being raised lately in the United States as Trump administration officials increasingly encounter dissenters at restaurants or during other off-duty moments. Americans deeply value the constitutionally-protected right to speak their mind, but are there limits?

VIDEO: There are 44 million immigrants in the United States, and they account for about 14 percent of the US population. One of America’s most diverse states is California, which is where we went to get an idea of how immigrants from different backgrounds feel about President Trump’s immigration policies.

VIDEO: In Afghanistan, a woman’s place is in the field defusing mines. At least that’s the case for 15 women who are learning how to spot and then defuse mines and explosive ammunition. In addition to providing jobs for the women, the benefits of the month-long training include freeing villagers from the dangers of explosives left across the country after decades of war.