The Biden administration is moving to partially end the 27-year-old court supervision of how the federal government cares for child migrants traveling alone. This decision comes after the administration introduced its own set of safeguards against mistreatment. The Justice Department is expected to request the termination of the Flores agreement at the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, which takes custody of unaccompanied children within 72 hours of their arrest by the Border Patrol.
The landmark Flores agreement, named after a child immigrant from El Salvador, Jenny Flores, has been a policy cornerstone ensuring the quick release of children to family members in the U.S. and setting standards at licensed shelters. The move to partially undo Flores has the potential to strain President Joe Biden's relationship with immigration advocates as he faces a surge in border crossings.
