Thursday is the court-ordered deadline for the Trump adminstration to reunite families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Federal authorities say more than 2,500 kids age 5 and older may be covered by the reunification order.

But it's unlikely that goal will be met, in part because hundreds of parents may have been deported without their children.

Instead, the government is focusing efforts on 1,600 families already approved for reunification.

Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, says officials are trying to let themselves off the hook.

"Even assuming they reunite the 1,600-plus families by tomorrow's deadline, those 1,600 are just a fraction of the total number of families. The reason the government is claiming they're going to meet the deadline is because they're not even trying by the deadline to reunite more than 400 parents who have apparently been deported without their children," Gelernt said.

A federal court in San Diego is expected to discuss the issue further Friday.

Sveral protests were held around the city Wednesday in response to the reunification deadline.

Demostrators gathered in front of the Cayuga Centers, a nonprofit that's helped more than 200 separated children.

They say they're appalled by what they consider the Trump administration's disregard for these kids' lives.

"They're children, you know. Kids don't deserve to be, no one deserves to be separated by someone they love. It's cold and it's heartless," said one demonstrator.

"We're here because the federal government had promised that all families would be reunited, and that was a lie. They're not, not even half," said another. "And it's a shame because it's like, if you're going to be, like, be a man of your word, if you say that you're going to do something, do it."

Eleven people were arrested at another protest outside Trump Tower. That one was organized by the group "Rise and Resist."

There is no word yet on what charges they're facing.