New York, 19 Other States Sue Trump For Prolonged Detention Of Migrant Children- Statement

NEW YORK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th August, 2019) New York Attorney General Letitia James and 19 state attorneys general have sued the Trump administration for its decision to end a 1997 agreement that limits the detention of migrant children held in US custody, the New York Attorney General's Office said in a press release on Monday.

"Attorney General Letitia James today filed a lawsuit in partnership with 19 Attorneys General opposing the Trump Administration's new rule seeking to circumvent the Flores Settlement Agreement, which has governed the treatment of children in immigration custody since 1997," the release said.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced that it will implement a new rule allowing for the termination of the 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement that regulates the detention of migrant children and imposes the 20-day detention limit.

The lawsuit argues the new rule terminates critical protections guaranteed under the agreement, noting that prolonged detention of migrant children would cause irreparable harm to them, their families and US communities that accept them when they are released from Federal custody, the release said.

The lawsuit also argues the new rule interferes with each of the US states' ability to help ensure the health and safety of migrant children by undermining state licensing requirements for detention facilities, the release added.

As a result of implementing the rule, the coalition of state attorneys general expects a large expansion of migrant family detention centers that are not state licensed facilities, according to the release.

Trump administration officials have called the Flores Settlement Agreement a "loophole" that encourages migrants to bring children with them when they cross the US border so that they are more likely to be released in the United States after a brief detention and less likely to face deportation.