U.S. Administration Proposes to Keep Immigrant Children in Detention Longer
Public can comment on proposed regulations until Nov. 6, 2018
On Sept. 6, 2018, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services proposed new regulations that would keep some undocumented immigrant children in detention longer than the currently allowed 20 days.
The over 200-page regulation would circumvent a 20-year court agreement known as the Flores Settlement that governs how undocumented children are treated in U.S. custody. New regulations:
- Allow immigration officials to keep children and their parents detained together for the entire length of their court proceedings.
- Create a new federal license system for facilities that house immigrant children. The Flores Settlement requires that these facilities be licensed by a state authority.
The public has until Nov. 6, 2018, to comment on the proposed regulations.
