According to reports, the Trump administration is issuing a final rule that will effectively terminate the 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement, which mandates that children cannot be held in immigration detention for more than 20 days. Denise Bell, researcher for refugee and migrant rights issued this statement:
“These new regulations are extraordinarily cruel. It is beyond logic and humanity to attempt to keep children locked up for as long as possible, especially when we know that this subjects them to trauma and extreme distress. Children who have already endured violence and persecution would be harmed even further by this policy. The Flores Agreement, which mandates that children could spend only up to 20 days in detention, must be allowed to stand to protect vulnerable toddlers, kids, and teens.”