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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 27 augusT 2019

Lawsuit filed over rollback of child immigrant protections

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE the case because the state
Associated Press is home to so many immi-
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) grants.
— Nineteen states and the "The federal government
District of Columbia sued doesn't have a right to tell
on Monday over the Trump us how we provide for the
administration's effort to well-being of people in our
alter a federal agreement state," he said.
that limits how long immi- California does not have
grant children can be kept any detention centers
in detention. that house migrant fami-
"We wish to protect children lies. The Trump administra-
from irreparable harm," tion argued that because
California Attorney Gen- no states license federal
eral Xavier Becerra said as detention centers, they
he announced the lawsuit wanted to create their own
he is co-leading with Mas- set of standards in order to
sachusetts Attorney Gener- satisfy the judge's require-
al Maura Healey. Both are ments that the facilities are
Democrats. licensed. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson talks to reporters, Monday, Aug. 26, 2019, during a
A 1997 agreement known They said they will be au- news conference in Seattle.
as the Flores settlement dited, and the audits made Associated Press
says immigrant children public. But the Flores attor-
must be kept in the least neys are concerned that suit are Connecticut, Dela- Nevada, New Jersey, New Island, Vermont, Virginia,
restrictive setting and gen- they will no longer be able ware, Illinois, Maine, Mary- Mexico, New York, Ore- and Washington.
erally shouldn't spend more to inspect the facilities, and land, Michigan, Minnesota, gon, Pennsylvania, Rhode q
than 20 days in detention. that careful state licensing
The U.S. Department of requirements will be es-
Homeland Security said chewed.
last week it would create Becerra echoed that argu-
new regulations on how mi- ment, saying that removing
grant children are treated. state authority over licens-
The administration wants ing centers could allow
to remove court oversight the federal government to
and allow families in deten- place centers in California
tion longer than 20 days. or other states that don't
About 475,000 families meet basic standards of
have crossed the border so care.
far this budget year, nearly Attorney General Bob Fer-
three times the previous guson of Washington, also
full-year record for families. a Democrat, said pro-
A judge must OK the Trump longed detention will have
administration's proposed long-term impacts on the
changes in order to end mental and physical health
the agreement, and a le- of immigrant children and
gal battle is expected from families.
the case's original lawyers. "When we welcome those
It's not likely that U.S. Dis- children into our commu-
trict Court Judge Dolly Gee nities, state-run programs
would approve the chang- and services bear the bur-
es; it was her ruling in 2015 den of the long-term im-
that extended the appli- pact of the trauma those
cation of the Flores agree- children endured in deten-
ment to include children tion," he said.
who came with families. California on Monday also
She ordered the Obama sought to halt a Trump
administration to release administration effort that
children as quickly as pos- could deny green cards
sible. to immigrants using public
Still, Becerra argued Cali- benefits.
fornia has a role to play in Other states joining the law-