Critics Say Decades-Old Flores Agreement Is Cause Of Chaos On Border. Others Argue It’s The Only Thing Protecting Detained Youth.
Both the Trump and Obama administrations have railed against the tight restrictions put in place by the Flores agreement, which dictates the way immigrant children are treated when they are held in custody. As early as Wednesday, DHS could release new regulations that replace those protections. The New York Times takes a look at this history, the impact and the frustrations that have come from the agreement. In other news on immigration: more states sue over "public charge" rule, officials say detainees won't be vaccinated for the upcoming flu season, and the government eyes a California location for a new shelter.
The New York Times:
The Flores Agreement Protected Migrant Children For Decades. It’s Under Threat.
Nearly 35 years ago, long before the current mass influx of Central American families making their way to America’s southern border, a different and more brutal migrant crisis was unfolding. In El Salvador, government death squads were stalking suspected insurgents. Farmers, human rights activists and even priests were being caught in the crossfire. The widening civil war would leave more than 75,000 people dead, and send tens of thousands of people fleeing to the United States. (Jordan, 8/20)
Politico Pro:
Trump To Move To Expand Detentions Of Migrant Families
The Trump administration plans to release a regulation Wednesday aiming to make it easier to keep migrant families locked up together for long periods of time, according to a former Homeland Security Department official familiar with the move. The final rule, which will likely require court approval before it becomes effective, outlines standards for the care of migrant children and families in the custody of federal immigration authorities. (Hesson, 8/20)
ProPublica:
The Administration Rushed On A Sweeping Immigration Policy. We Found Substantive, Sloppy Mistakes.
This month, the Trump White House unveiled a new policy it had aggressively pushed through the regulatory process that makes it much harder for low-income immigrants, especially those who had used public benefits, to come to or remain in the United States. The proposal — known as the “public charge” rule, since it creates a complicated test to determine whether an immigrant is “likely to be a public charge” — has the potential to dramatically restrict who’s allowed to settle in the country. And many people who work with immigrants, including social service providers and local and state governments, are worried that it will scare them away from using benefits they and their families need to thrive. (Lind and Torbati, 8/20)
The Associated Press:
New York, 2 Other States Sue Over Trump Immigration Rule
New York state, New York City, Connecticut and Vermont sued the federal government Tuesday over new Trump administration rules blocking green cards for many immigrants who use public assistance including Medicaid, food stamps and housing vouchers. The states and city join a growing list of entities suing over the change, one of the Republican administration's most aggressive moves to restrict legal immigration. (Klepper, 8/20)
CNBC:
New York Sues Trump Administration Over 'Public Charge' Immigration Rule
The suit is joined by the city of New York, Connecticut and Vermont and was filed in the Southern District of New York, challenging the Trump administration’s attempt to target immigrants of color. “The Trump Administration’s thinly veiled efforts to only allow those who meet their narrow ethnic, racial and economic criteria to enter our nation is a clear violation of our laws and our values,” James said in a news release. “Under this rule, more children will go hungry, more families will go without medical care and more people will be living in the shadows and on the streets.” (Kim, 8/20)
The CT Mirror:
CT Sues To Block Trump Immigrant 'Public Charge' Policy
Connecticut has joined a multi-state lawsuit that aims to stop the Trump administration from denying green cards to immigrants who receive public assistance, including food stamps, Medicaid and housing vouchers. The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday by Connecticut, New York and Vermont. (Radelat, 8/20)
The Hill:
Migrants In US Border Detention Centers Won't Receive Flu Vaccine
U.S. immigration authorities do not vaccinate migrants in custody against the flu virus, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) does not have any plans to do so ahead of the upcoming flu season. “In general, due to the short term nature of CBP holding and the complexities of operating vaccination programs, neither CBP nor its medical contractors administer vaccinations to those in our custody,” an agency spokeswoman told The Hill in an emailed statement. (Weixel, 8/20)
Los Angeles Times:
Chicken Pox And Flu: Migrants Are Getting Sick At The U.S.-Mexico Border
On her first day out of quarantine Thursday, 6-year-old Fernanda Martinez was ecstatic. She raced a mini-green quad up and down the hall outside the dark room where she spent four weeks separated from everyone because of a severe case of chicken pox. Greeting all the other children at the Agape Misión Mundial shelter in Tijuana, Martinez decided they were all her best friends. She announced she was equally excited to see everyone. (Fry, 8/20)
KQED:
Feds Eye Inland Empire For Major New Site To House Unaccompanied Migrant Children
The U.S. agency charged with caring for unaccompanied migrant children is eyeing California’s Inland Empire as a potential location for a major new shelter facility, according to official records. The proposal, which was posted earlier this month on the Federal Business Opportunities website, comes at a time when the number of minors in federal custody has dipped since the beginning of the year but still remains at historic highs. (Wiley, 8/20)
The Washington Post:
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser Blocks Planned Federal Shelter For Unaccompanied Migrant Children Planned For D.C.
The administration of D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) has enacted emergency regulations that would stop a planned federal shelter for unaccompanied migrant children in Northwest Washington. The emergency rules prohibit the city’s child welfare agency from licensing facilities housing more than 15 residents. That would block a 200-bed shelter that a federal contractor is trying to open in the Takoma neighborhood, part of the Trump administration’s efforts to address a surge of minors apprehended at the southern border without a parent. (Nirappil, 8/20)
