The Biden administration is seeking to partially end a 27-year-old agreement that places court oversight on how the federal government looks after migrant children in its custody.
The administration made this request to a U.S. district judge, filing it on Friday. This move follows the Health and Human Services Department publishing its own rule on protections, set to take effect on July 1. Secretary Xavier Becerra stated that these rules will establish “clear standards for the care and treatment of unaccompanied (migrant) children.”
In a motion submitted in a California federal court, the government argued that the court oversight has served its purpose over the years, and the new regulations offer a more effective way to ensure children’s safety.
Joe Biden (Via Christian Linardo/Getty Images)
“After 27 years, there are strong indications that the goals of the Flores Settlement Agreement have been achieved. The Court should end the FSA as it applies to HHS,” the government stated in its filing.
Advocates for children argue that the Flores agreement, as it is known, has played a crucial role in ensuring safe conditions for children, particularly during periods of increased border detentions, including nearly 300,000 unaccompanied minors in the past two years.
