Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
The U.S., May 23rd. - President Donald Trump's administration is seeking to eliminate a court agreement, reached more than 25 years ago, that forces the authorities to offer protections to migrant minors in federal custody.
With an appeal filed today in a court in California, the Republican Administration calls for the "complete" of the so-called 'Flower Agreement' that since 1997 establishes minimum standards for the treatment of migrant minors.
These include ensuring access to health and education services, keeping them in facilities that have a leave of absence to care for minors and quickly release them to a family member or legal representative.
The legal pact has also allowed immigrant defense attorneys to bring to light the challenges facing minors in federal custody, including children entering the U.S. accompanied by a family member or legal guardian.
In the document presented today, the Trump administration argues that the agreement does not allow it to implement the immigration policies it wanted and imposes the will of the judiciary over the executive branch.
Specifically, government lawyers blame the Flores agreement for having "changed the immigration landscape" by removing some factors that deterred families from entering the U.S. irregularly.
In turn, he noted that conditions in migrant detention centres had improved "substantially" since the agreement was signed.
This is the second time Trump has tried to lift protections for migrant minors: an attempt to dissolve the deal during his first term (2017-2021) was halted by an appeals court.
A similar request was made by the Barack Obama Administration (2009-2017) following the increase in single children who entered the country in 2014.
The agreement is named after Jenny Flores, a 15-year-old girl who fled the civil war in El Salvador and after crossing the border in 1985, faced harsh treatment by immigration authorities, which included a naked search and being locked up in a youth center for months without education, recreation and other support while awaiting deportation.
The expulsion was avoided after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other organizations sued the U.S. government and began litigation that sheltered all children and resulted in the agreement. (Text and Photo: Cubasí)
