Migrant Children set to lose protections under Trump Administration

San Antonio (USA), (EFE) – The Trump administration is seeking to eliminate a court agreement, reached more than 25 years ago, that requires authorities to offer protections to migrant minors in federal custody.

In a motion filed today in a California court, the Republican administration is asking for the “complete” termination of the so-called “Flores Agreement,” which since 1997 has established minimum standards for the treatment of migrant minors.

These standards include guaranteeing access to health and education services, housing minors in facilities licensed to care for them, and quickly releasing them to a relative or legal guardian.

The legal pact has also allowed immigration defense attorneys to spotlight the challenges faced by minors in federal custody, including children who enter the U.S. accompanied by a relative or legal guardian.

In today’s filing, the Trump administration argues that the agreement prevents it from enforcing its preferred immigration policies and imposes judicial control over the executive branch.

Government attorneys specifically claim that the Flores Agreement “changed the immigration landscape” by removing some deterrents for families considering entering the U.S. illegally.

They also assert that conditions in migrant detention centers have “substantially” improved since the agreement was first signed.

This marks the second attempt by Trump to rescind protections for migrant children: a previous effort during his first term (2017–2021) was blocked by an appeals court.

A similar request was made by the Barack Obama administration (2009–2017) following a surge in unaccompanied minors crossing the border in 2014.

The agreement is named after Jenny Flores, a fifteen-year-old girl who fled El Salvador’s civil war. After crossing the border in 1985, she endured harsh treatment by immigration authorities, including a strip search and months in a juvenile detention center without access to education, recreation, or proper support while she awaited deportation.

Her deportation was halted after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other organizations sued the U.S. government, leading to litigation that resulted in protections for all migrant children and the eventual creation of the Flores Agreement.