In a firm stand against the prolongation of children's detention in immigration facilities, Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined forces with a coalition of twenty attorneys general, voicing opposition to the Trump administration's recent moves. According to the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, this multistate endeavor filed an amicus brief with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals seeking to safeguard the Flores Settlement Agreement—a legal safeguard that has been in place since 1997, ensuring state oversight and the welfare of children in immigration custody.
The agreement in question mandates that minors be housed in state-licensed facilities with state oversight and released without undue delay to appropriate guardians, while also specifying standards for their education and care, this situation has proved pivotal in maintaining the humane treatment of immigrant minors and upheld through Democratic and Republican presidencies alike, with Raoul remarking that it’s "unconscionable the Trump administration is once again attempting to strip away these critical protections," with his commitment to persevere in standing with his counterparts protective of these youths, as noted by the Office of the Illinois Attorney General.
Historically, the Flores Settlement has functioned as a crucial barricade against the potential harms of prolonged detention, which include physical, mental, and emotional damage to children, disrupting their development, and compounding burdens on state services that subsequently provide support. Attorneys General from states including Arizona, California, and New York, among others, are uniting with Raoul to assert that dismantling the Flores Agreement infringes on states' authority to manage the welfare of children, as per the official announcement.
