May 10, 2024
The Biden administration moved Friday to terminate a decades-old agreement that governs conditions for migrant children in government custody, according to a court filing, which argues that the settlement was meant to be temporary.
The 1997 Flores settlement, as the agreement is known, requires the government to release children from government custody without unnecessary delay to sponsors, like parents or adult relatives, and dictates conditions by which children are held. The Health and Human Services Department is charged with the care of unaccompanied migrant children.
The Biden administration has previously signaled that it planned to end the Flores agreement, instead preparing a federal regulation that, the administration argues, “faithfully implements” the requirements spelled out in the settlement, provides additional protections and responds to “unforeseen changed circumstances since 1997.” The regulation was published in late April.
Related Work
View All Latest ContentLargest housing provider for migrant children engaged in pervasive sexual abuse, US says
Associated Press
In the News
- Case Name
- Flores v. Reno
- Status
- Active
The Flores case was filed in 1985 to address the serious mistreatment of immigrant children in federal custody. The case settled in 1997 and remains under the supervision of federal court judge Dolly Gee in the Central District of California.
Immigration Rights, Government Accountability, Families Together, Child Health
Judicial oversight on migrant kids’ centers ends – What now for undocumented children without families?
The Latin Times
In the News
Stay Up To Date
Sign up to stay informed about our work in and out of the courtroom.