The court settlement ends the secret program of the Donald Trump administration and will benefit families in the United States who seek custody of unaccompanied minors, who will be able to wait in freedom while their cases are resolved.
An agreement between the U.S. government, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and a group of lawyers will expedite the reunification process for unaccompanied minors detained at the border and prosecuted under the 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement.
The court agreement states that “unaccompanied minors cannot be deported; rather, an immigration judge must decide their future in the United States.” It also adds that they cannot be detained for more than 72 hours in Border Patrol facilities and must be released into the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which then refers them to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
The ACLU said the agreement reached "establishes a set of timelines for the government to schedule fingerprinting appointments and complete fingerprint processing for parents and sponsors seeking to reunite with children in government custody.".
The agreed timeframes are between “seven business days for an appointment and 10 business days for processing” of family reunifications.
The American Civil Liberties Union stated that the Trump administration “used fingerprinting and background checks to delay the release of immigrant children detained by immigration authorities.” This resulted in the children being separated from their parents for extended periods, adding weeks and months to their time in government custody, the rights group reported.
Finally, the civil rights organization reported that the procedure will be applied to all children nationwide in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and the Department of Homeland Security (HHS). This marks the end of the secret program developed in 2018 by then-President Trump as part of his "zero tolerance" immigration policy. Ultimately, the agreement will prevent the future resumption of such harmful policies that hinder the reunification of families separated at the border.
News report based on information from: Univision
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