The Homeland Security and Health and Human Services Departments proposed changes on Thursday that would bypass limits on the government’s ability to hold minors in immigration jails.
The plan involves withdrawing from the Flores Settlement Agreement, a consent decree from 1997 that shapes detention standards for underage migrants.
However, the Washington Post reports that the move will likely land the Trump administration in court.
The U.S. District Court Judge who oversees the agreement, Dolly Gee, has previously rejected attempts to extend the amount of time migrant children can be held with their parents. The current limit is 20 days.
In the proposal, DHS and HHS say the administration would issue new regulations that would still “satisfy the basic purpose” of the Flores Settlement Agreement.
“The rule would satisfy the basic purpose of the FSA in ensuring that all juveniles in the government’s custody are treated with dignity, respect, and special concern for their particular vulnerability as minors, while doing so in a manner that is workable in light of subsequent changes,” the proposal states.
This moves comes a few months after the Trump administration looked to stop increases in illegal immigration by implementing a zero-tolerance policy that resulted in an upsurge in children being separated from their parents when entering America illegally.
