Many Of The Migrant Children Being Held In U.S. Custody Have Been Detained Beyond Legal Time Limits
The Washington Post spoke to officials on the condition of anonymity who painted a grim picture of how long children are being kept in custody. The safety and care for the migrant children in U.S. custody has been called into question as the death toll of detainees continues to climb. In other news, civil rights groups are filing a suit against a Trump administration policy that they say makes it easier for taxpayer-funded adoption centers to discriminate against same-sex couples.
The Washington Post:
Hundreds Of Minors Held At U.S. Border Facilities Are There Beyond Legal Time Limits
Many of the nearly 2,000 unaccompanied migrant children being held in overcrowded U.S. Border Patrol facilities have been there beyond legally allowed time limits, including some who are 12 or younger, according to new government data obtained by The Washington Post. Federal law and court orders require that children in Border Patrol custody be transferred to more-hospitable shelters no longer than 72 hours after they are apprehended. But some unaccompanied children are spending longer than a week in Border Patrol stations and processing centers, according to two Customs and Border Protection officials and two other government officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the unreleased data. (Hauslohner and Sacchetti, 5/30)
The Hill:
Civil Rights Groups Sue Over Trump Foster Care Policies
Civil rights groups are filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration and the state of South Carolina, alleging the governments are making it easier for taxpayer-funded adoption and foster care agencies to discriminate against same-sex and non-evangelical couples. Thursday’s lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Lambda Legal was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina on behalf of a married lesbian couple. Eden Rogers and Brandy Welch were turned away by Miracle Hill Ministries, South Carolina’s largest state-contracted, federally-funded foster care agency. (Weixel, 5/30)
CQ:
Legal Groups Sue HHS Over Religious Waiver For Foster Care
Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of South Carolina, and South Carolina Equality Coalition are suing in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina on behalf of a married lesbian couple who were denied the ability to foster through Miracle Hill, a Christian foster care agency that uses religious criteria to place children with families. The case is being filed amid reports HHS may release a rule that would broaden the exceptions from anti-discrimination laws based on religious beliefs. Texas is currently waiting on approval of a waiver similar to South Carolina’s. Miracle Hill does not place children with families of other faiths or same-sex couples and was at risk of losing its licensing before the administration granted a waiver in January. (Raman, 5/30)
