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A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 7 September 2018

Trump administration moves to detain migrant families longer

By COLLEEN LONG and dent Donald Trump has
AMY TAXIN decried as “catch-and-re-
Associated Press lease.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Such cases can drag on
Trump administration on for years, and some im-
Thursday moved to aban- migrants stop showing up
don a longstanding court to court when it becomes
settlement that limits how clear their asylum requests
long immigrant children are going to be denied.
can be kept locked up, The newly proposed rules
proposing new regulations would allow the govern-
that would allow the gov- ment to hold families in de-
ernment to detain families tention until their cases are
until their immigration cases completed.
are decided. Homeland Security did not
Homeland Security De- say how long it expects
partment officials said families to be kept locked
that ending the so-called up. But immigration officials
Flores agreement of 1997 say asylum cases involving In this June 26, 2018, file photo, vehicles leave the Port Isabel Detention Center, which holds
will speed up the handling detained families move detainees of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Los Fresnos, Texas.
of immigration cases while much more quickly, taking Associated Press
also deterring people from months instead of years to lation what the court has More than 2,900 children ily members at Fort Bliss
illegally crossing the Mexi- resolve, in part because not permitted,” said Peter were separated from their in El Paso, Texas. Another
can border. there are none of the de- Schey, an attorney repre- parents, prompting interna- request for up to 20,000
The move angered immi- lays that result when immi- senting immigrant children tional outrage. beds for youngsters who ar-
grant rights advocates and grants set free in the U.S. fail under the settlement and Trump eventually backed rive without parents is also
is all but certain to trigger to show up for a hearing. president of the Center for down and stopped the pending.
a court battle. “It is sicken- “Today, legal loopholes Human Rights and Consti- separation of families. A The ACLU’s Jadwat ac-
ing to see the United States significantly hinder the de- tutional Law. federal judge ordered par- cused the administration of
government looking for partment’s ability to ap- Schey said he will oppose ents and children reunified; “trying to expand the trau-
ways to jail more children propriately detain and any effort to end Flores un- the government has said it ma it is inflicting on these
for longer,” said Omar Jad- promptly remove family less the government pro- has done so in as many cas- children in order to deter
wat, director of the ACLU’s units that have no legal ba- poses acceptable regula- es as it could. But hundreds other people from coming
Immigrants’ Rights Project. sis to remain in the country,” tions for the safe and hu- of parents were deported to the country.”
“And it’s yet another exam- Homeland Security Secre- mane treatment of young- without their children, while Rachel Prandini, staff attor-
ple of the Trump administra- tary Kirstjen Nielsen. “This sters. others had criminal records ney at the Immigrant Legal
tion’s hostility toward immi- rule addresses one of the “Refugee children should or were not parents as they Resource Center, said the
grants resulting in a policy primary pull factors for ille- not be made to suffer in- claimed to be, officials said. erosion of Flores’ protec-
incompatible with the most gal immigration and allows humane treatment and Because under Flores chil- tions would subject children
basic human values.” The the federal government to prolonged and unneces- dren cannot be kept in to worsening conditions.
Flores agreement requires enforce immigration laws sary detention just to sat- criminal custody with their “The Trump administration’s
the government to keep as passed by Congress.” isfy President Trump’s zero- parents or held for an ex- decision to exacerbate the
children in the least restric- Earlier this summer, a fed- tolerance approach to tended period in immigra- suffering of kids, by impos-
tive setting possible and to eral judge in California re- refugees seeking safety in tion detention, the admin- ing the cruel policy of fam-
release them generally af- jected a request by the ad- the United States from the istration has limited options ily separation earlier this
ter 20 days in detention. For ministration to modify Flores violence and lawlessness when dealing with families. summer and now with this
decades, because of those to allow for longer family spreading throughout Cen- The government operates rule change to vastly ex-
restrictions, many parents detention. Administration tral America,” Schey said. three family detention cen- pand detention of children,
and children caught trying officials say they have the The Flores agreement be- ters, and they are mostly at is horrifying,” she said.
to slip into the country have authority to terminate the came an issue last spring capacity. The regulations will be pub-
been released into the U.S. agreement, but that is likely when the Trump adminis- Homeland Security and lished in the Federal Reg-
while their asylum requests to be tested in court. tration adopted a policy the Pentagon have been ister and will be subject to
wind their way through the “They’re essentially trying to of prosecuting anyone working to line up as many a 60-day public comment
courts — a practice Presi- accomplish through regu- caught crossing illegally. as 12,000 beds for fam- period starting Friday.q