“Citing new coronavirus cases at detention facilities for migrant families, the federal judge overseeing litigation surrounding protections for undocumented minors in U.S. custody on Friday ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release children the agency is holding with their parents or legal guardians” NBC News reports.
“U.S. Judge Dolly Gee of the federal district court in Los Angeles gave ICE a July 17 deadline to release all minors who have been in the agency’s custody for more than 20 days. Gee, who oversees the government’s compliance with the Flores Settlement Agreement, which governs the care of minors in U.S. immigration custody, cited the first coronavirus cases among the migrant families ICE holds at its three Family Residential Centers, or FRCs.”
“‘Given the severity of the outbreak in the counties in which FRCs are located and the Independent Monitor and Dr. Wise’s observations of non-compliance or spotty compliance with masking and social distancing rules, renewed and more vigorous efforts must be undertaken to transfer (children) residing at the FRCs to non-congregate settings,’ Gee wrote in her order.”