Trump Administration Challenges Flores Settlement Agreement: A Threat to Migrant Children's Protection?

The Trump administration has initiated a legal move to dismantle the Flores Settlement Agreement, a long-standing protection for child migrants in U.S. federal custody. Since the 1990s, this agreement has mandated safe and sanitary conditions for detained children, limiting their detention to 72 hours.

Government officials label the agreement as an outdated and intrusive measure, arguing that subsequent legislation has rendered it unnecessary. They claim the agreement inadvertently fuelled an increase in migrant children entering the U.S. over the last 30 years by easing entry deterrents.

This proposal has drawn criticism from human rights advocates, who insist that abolishing the agreement would lead to inhumane treatment of detained minors. Legal battles loom, with a court hearing scheduled to address the matter, underscoring the ongoing contention over U.S. immigration policy.

(With inputs from agencies.)