Trump administration moves to detain migrant families longer (and illegally at that)

The Trump administration on Thursday moved to abandon a longstanding court settlement that limits how long immigrant children can be kept locked up, proposing new regulations that would allow the government to detain families until their immigration cases are decided.

Homeland Security officials said that ending the so-called Flores agreement of 1997 will speed up the handling of asylum requests while also deterring people from illegally crossing the Mexican border.

The move angered immigrant rights advocates and is all but certain to trigger a court battle.

We have a law in place, called the Flores agreement, that allows the government to detain immigrant children for up to 20 days. This law was brought up during the early days of the immigration Constitutional crisis by both sides -- it was often used as a reason that it was ok to detain or imprison children and that it had been in effect for a long time.

And in fact it has been in effect for a long time, since 1997, but not until this administration have there been such issues with it and it hadn't created any crises until now. A federal judge, Dana Sabraw, ruled that the law was being broken and that the release of children had to be expedited. The government complied, in part, and a large number of children who were detained for up to a year were released. A large number still haven't and the government had not complied with the court order in full.

The White House has argued that reversing the law and keeping children locked up longer would deter further immigration attempts. This new move would invalidate the law and allow the government to detain the children for as long as their immigration cases take, which in many cases can take YEARS and in best case scenarios, months.

Associated Press

Is anyone ok with this?

It is not guaranteed that the law will ever see the light of day, but we should be very concerned that our government sees children as a bargaining chip; that the government meant to protect the Constitution and all humans under its protection is willing to detain underage children for years for what is a misdemeanor for an adult.

“Refugee children should not be made to suffer inhumane treatment and prolonged and unnecessary detention just to satisfy President Trump’s zero-tolerance approach to refugees seeking safety in the United States from the violence and lawlessness spreading throughout Central America,” Schey said.

The Flores agreement became an issue last spring when the Trump administration adopted a policy of prosecuting anyone caught crossing illegally. More than 2,900 children were separated from their parents, prompting international outrage.

The government operates three family detention centers that can hold a total of about 3,000 people, and they are at or near capacity. Homeland Security and the Pentagon have been working to line up as many as 12,000 beds for family members at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Another request for up to 20,000 beds for youngsters who arrive without parents is also pending.

The ACLU’s Jadwat accused the administration of “trying to expand the trauma it is inflicting on these children in order to deter other people from coming to the country.”

Are children to be used for political statements and agendas? Is this what our country has stooped down to? Are their lives so unimportant that we are willing to step all over our own laws and values in order to send a message to other countries?

A request for 20,000 additional beds for youngsters?

This Constitutional crisis is long from over, unfortunately, and we should all be very concerned. A government willing to treat children of any race this way is a government ready to do much worse to adults, even if they are our own.

The regulations will be published in the Federal Register and will be subject to a 60-day public comment period starting Friday.

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Thank you all for reading and commenting. I fully expect many members to try to derail the thread into whataboutisms, make insensitive comments that children are criminals and deserve it or simply call me names for bringing it up. Those comments will be ignored.

I am looking for an adult conversation with people who see kids as kids, and feel the need to protect them and give them the lives that they deserve. I should not have to explain our Constitution and the Amendments, the right to life, liberty or property -- and due process, which is already being avoided and attempts are made to circumvent it and disobey it.

Solid proof needed to show 100% that "Adults" and "Children" are actually related.

Needed now more than ever.

Why let cheats and liars get a free pass ?

I agree it’s terrible.

But, taking these kids seem to invite thousands more.

There is no easy answer.

I think quick adoption may help.

a reply to: Kharron

If 100% of them follow through with the court dates then no, otherwise yes.

Wah wah wah

Those kids get treated better than most kids in this country. All the fake outrage is just that.

Detain them as long as it takes to send them home.

a reply to: watchitburn

Detain them as long as it takes to send them home.

Seemingly that would be only a few hrs, put them on a bus..right?

originally posted by: Kharron

It is not guaranteed that the law will ever see the light of day, but we should be very concerned that our government sees children as a bargaining chip

Before you go all indignant on us, why was the 1997 law written in the first place? Has this ever been an issue before, and for whom?

illegals?

originally posted by: vonclod
a reply to: watchitburn

Detain them as long as it takes to send them home.

Seemingly that would be only a few hrs, put them on a bus..right?

I'm fine with that.

a reply to: Kharron

Trump administration moves to detain illegal migrant families longer (and illegally at that)

There I fixed your thread name for ya.


I think I have a solution. If you and people who think like you really care about the problem just volunteer your house to shelter and feed them while also taking responsibility for any other illegal activities they get in, besides crossing the border illegally.

originally posted by: xuenchen
Solid proof needed to show 100% that "Adults" and "Children" are actually related.

Needed now more than ever.

Why let cheats and liars get a free pass ?

Bs

The law states clearly that there does not have to be a blood relation to guardianship.

Why would any government want to horde children?

originally posted by: highvein
a reply to: Kharron

Trump administration moves to detain illegal migrant families longer (and illegally at that)

There I fixed your thread name for ya.


I think I have a solution. If you and people who think like you really care about the problem just volunteer your house to shelter and feed them while also taking responsibility for any other illegal activities they get in, besides crossing the border illegally.

More bs.

If that is the goal of the admin to get them in homes then the regulations for adoption would be lessened.

It is not easy to get approved but nice try.

originally posted by: watchitburn
Wah wah wah

Those kids get treated better than most kids in this country. All the fake outrage is just that.

Detain them as long as it takes to send them home.

20 days is long enough if that is the goal.

Why would they just get rid of their political football that easy.

Illegal is just that. The children are being endangered by the parents, also illegal.

Wasn't this the very law that meant kids had to be separated from their parents in order to enforce immigration law?

It was predictable that once the whining about family separations subsided, the whining about any form of detainment would start.
By not supporting the administrations position on this, OP, you want one of two things:

1) Kids to be separated from their parents
2) Immigration laws to be ignored

Why don't liberals just admit they want the second option, 100% open borders for all (as long as they vote Democrat)?
It would be much better to be honest about it. We all know it anyway.

a reply to: Kharron

You know what I think we need to stop these migrant children from entering the country in the first place?

*drum roll*

originally posted by: watchitburn
Wah wah wah

Those kids get treated better than most kids in this country. All the fake outrage is just that.

Detain them as long as it takes to send them home.

So, you're on the record as saying our laws and the rights afforded by the Constitution no longer matter? And all this is fake outrage, and the federal courts stepping in finding it illegal also does not matter?

And if our Constitution no longer matters, and political agendas do, where do we go from here?

What do you suggest we do with the Constitution, such as in this matter? Stuff it? Once it's disobeyed, can we ever go back?

I am having a hard time comprehending such anti-patriotic sentiment, please explain why you think the Constitution is unimportant in this matter.

originally posted by: howtonhawky

originally posted by: xuenchen
Solid proof needed to show 100% that "Adults" and "Children" are actually related.

Needed now more than ever.

Why let cheats and liars get a free pass ?

Bs

The law states clearly that there does not have to be a blood relation to guardianship.

Why would any government want to horde children?

The "law" shows that ?

bwaaaahahaha

what about the other law.

💥pow!💥

originally posted by: UKTruth
Wasn't this the very law that meant kids had to be separated from their parents in order to enforce immigration law?

It was predictable that once the whining about family separations subsided, the whining about any form of detainment would start.
By not supporting the administrations position on this, OP, you want one of two things:

1) Kids to be separated from their parents
2) Immigration laws to be ignored

Why don't liberals just admit they want the second option, 100% open borders for all (as long as they vote Democrat)?
It would be much better to be honest about it. We all know it anyway.

A very black and white way of looking at the world, and a sure way to corner yourself in eventually.

Why not expand your views?

Can we not obey our own laws and our Constitution without having open borders? Can we not obey the 20 day policy without wanting to make unconstitutional changes to it? Indefinite imprisonment of children?

When I say 'Our' I mean American, I'm not talking about the UK.

And if we, our government, created a situation that is so unfeasible to maintain, must we modify the laws and use children as leverage or should we treat humans as humans and modify our policies to match the requirements of the Constitution? There are so many options here other than imprisonment of children for undetermined periods of time, why can't we discuss and brainstorm options instead of automatically saying they deserve what they get?

I know I said I should not have to explain the Constitution and the Amendments, but since you are from across the pond, I'll answer any Constitution questions for you that you may not be clear on. I say that because you do seem unclear on the rights our Constitution affords to ALL people.

originally posted by: Fowlerstoad
a reply to: Kharron

You know what I think we need to stop these migrant children from entering the country in the first place?

*drum roll*

How's that wall coming along?

Do you think he will promise it again in two years? And furthermore, do you think anyone will believe him on the promise second time around?