The Flores agreement has protected migrant children for nearly 3 decades. Changes may be coming

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration wants to partially end a 27-year-old agreement that provides court oversight of how the federal government cares for migrant children in its custody.

The request to a U.S. district judge, filed Friday, comes weeks after the Health and Human Services Department published its own rule on safeguards, effective July 1, that Secretary Xavier Becerra said will set “clear standards for the care and treatment of unaccompanied (migrant) children.”

In a motion filed in California federal court, the government argued that the court supervision has outlived its purpose and new regulations are a better solution to ensure the safety of children.

“Twenty-seven years later, there is ample reason to believe that the (Flores Settlement Agreement’s) goals have been achieved. The Court should terminate the FSA as to HHS,” the government wrote in its filing.

Children’s advocates say what is known as the Flores agreement has been instrumental in guaranteeing safe conditions for children, especially amid rising border detentions over the past two years that included nearly 300,000 unaccompanied minors.

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