Trump seeks to end longstanding protections for migrant children

The Trump administration is once again attempting to dismantle the Flores Settlement Agreement (FSA)—a pivotal legal safeguard that has protected immigrant children in U.S. federal custody for nearly three decades.

- TDG NETWORK

This latest move, revealed in court documents filed on Thursday, signals a renewed effort to strip away rules that limit how long and under what conditions migrant children can be detained by federal immigration authorities.

WHAT IS THE FLORES AGREEMENT?

The Flores Settlement Agreement dates back to 1997 and is named after Jenny Flores, a Salvadoran teenager who sued the federal government in the 1980s over the mistreatment of minors in detention. The agreement has since become a cornerstone of immigration policy regarding children, setting minimum standards for their care while in custody and limiting the time they can be detained—typically no more than 72 hours before being transferred to child-appropriate facilities operated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

THE FSA MANDATES THAT: