L.A. judge to block Trump administration's immigration rule for children
LONG BEACH, Calif. (FOX 11) - A Los Angeles federal judge indicated she will block the Trump Administration's attempt to lengthen the amount of time children in immigration custody can be held behind bars.
U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee's tentative decision was provided only to attorneys working the so-called Flores case, and a final written ruling is expected in the near future, according to Neha Desai, director of immigration at the National Center for Youth Law.
The two-decade-old Flores settlement agreement outlines a minimum standard of care for migrant children in U.S. custody. The agreement has been in place since 1997 and is overseen by Gee in Los Angeles federal court.
In August, the Trump Administration issued a regulation that would allow it to indefinitely detain migrant families who illegally cross the
border. If put into effect, the new rule would abolish a 20-day cap on detaining families in immigration jails.The state of California immediately filed suit opposing the new rule.
Also in August, a federal appeals court upheld a judge's order that the Trump Administration must provide basic personal hygiene items and adequate bedding to children being held at detention facilities. The ruling by a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals backed the Flores agreement, which guarantees all detained immigrant children humane treatment and the right to be promptly released unless they are a flight risk or a danger to themselves or others.