19 States, D.C. File Suit Over Trump Administration’s Rules That Would Allow Immigrant Children To Be Held Indefinitely
The Trump administration has argued that smugglers are using the Flores agreement and other court rulings to their advantage, and the new rules will help stop the flow of immigrants entering the country illegally. The states say that the new rules could lead to the prolonged detention of minors, and in turn cause increased trauma for tens of thousands of children and their families.
The Associated Press:
Lawsuit Filed Over Rollback Of Child Immigrant Protections
Nineteen states and the District of Columbia sued on Monday over the Trump administration's effort to alter a federal agreement that limits how long immigrant children can be kept in detention. "We wish to protect children from irreparable harm," California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said as he announced the lawsuit he is co-leading with Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. Both are Democrats. (Ronayne, 8/26)
The Washington Post:
California Leads Effort To Block Trump Move To Detain Migrant Children Longer
[California Gov. Gavin] Newsom and the state’s attorney general said officials from coast to coast — all Democrats — plan to file a lawsuit in Los Angeles that aims to prevent the U.S. government from overriding a federal consent decree that has set basic conditions for detaining underage migrants in the United States since 1997. A judge overseeing the decree, known as the Flores Settlement Agreement, issued a ruling in 2015 that limited the amount of time children can be held to 20 days. (Sacchetti, 8/26)
Los Angeles Times:
California Sues Over Trump Immigration Policy On Migrant Children
“No child deserves to be left in conditions inappropriate and harmful for their age,” Becerra said Monday. “The actions by this administration are not just morally reprehensible, they’re illegal. Children don’t become subhuman simply because they are migrants.” As the state with the largest immigrant population in the country, including an estimated 2.2 million people in the U.S. illegally, California officials have repeatedly clashed with Trump over his crackdown on migrants, including those seeking asylum. (McGreevy and Luna, 8/26)
Sacramento Bee:
Flores Lawsuit Marks Latest Trump-Newsom Immigration Fight
Administration officials argue migrants have exploited the Flores agreement and bring children across the border to avoid being held in custody while they await their day in immigration court. The new policy will “restore integrity to our immigration system and eliminates the incentive for children to be used or exploited to enter the United States,” McAleenan said last week when announcing the change. The new rule follows President Donald Trump’s previous attempt to crack down on families bringing children over the border with his family separation policy, which separated at least 2,000 children from their parents. (Bollag, 8/26)
Politico:
California Leads Multistate Lawsuit Over Migrant Children Detention Rules
California, along with 18 other states and the District of Columbia, argue the rule would shatter minimum protections for children. President Donald Trump and administration officials are facing intense scrutiny and widespread public backlash for allowing migrant children to be held in unsafe, unsanitary conditions that public and mental health experts say pose extreme harm to their physical and mental well-being. The Trump administration rule risks prolonged detention that would cause irreparable harm to migrant children, their families and California communities accepting children upon release from federal custody, state Attorney General Xavier Becerra argued. (Hart, 8/26)
In other immigration news —
Kaiser Health News:
How And When Immigrants’ Use Of Government Benefits Might Affect Their Legal Status
A new rule to restrict legal immigration, published by the Trump administration this month, is sowing confusion and anxiety even among immigrants not directly affected by it, as fear spreads faster than facts, immigration and health policy experts say. The rule would allow the federal government to more easily deny permanent residency status, popularly known as green cards, or entry visas to applicants who use — or are deemed likely to use — federally funded food stamps, housing assistance and Medicaid. (Ibarra, 8/27)
Seattle Times:
Migrant Children Now In Washington State Tell Of Haunting Conditions At The Border As AGs File Suit
Migrant children held in rooms so cramped they couldn’t all sit, never mind lie down. Roll calls held at midnight, 3, 6 and 9 in the morning. Food that tasted like dirt, water like chlorine. Cruel guards who in one instance threw food on the floor, instigating fights as hungry kids scrambled to get it. These are some of the experiences described in a declaration based on interviews with children who spent time in border detention facilities and are now living in Washington. (Shapiro, 8/26)
