National Center for Youth Law | Flores v. Reno - National Center for Youth Law

STRATEGIES

Flores v. Reno

The 1997 settlement agreement in Flores v. Reno set national standards for the treatment and placement of minors in what was then Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) custody. INS obligations under the agreement are now the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The agreement establishes minimum standards for initial detention and a policy favoring release of minors. It also requires that children who remain in federal custody be placed in the least restrictive environment and mandates provision of information, treatment and services.

For information about the Government’s detention of children in motels in violation of the Flores Settlement Agreement, click here

Latest News

Flores settlement applies to minors detained amid pandemic – 9th Circ

June 30, 2021

U.S. closing 6 makeshift housing sites for unaccompanied migrant children

Migrant youth describe desperation to leave large shelters

June 22, 2021

‘Every day, I feel really sad’: Migrant children still in temporary sites for prolonged periods, attorneys say

Panic attacks highlight stress at shelters for migrant kids

June 14, 2021

Gov. Greg Abbott orders Texas child-care regulators to yank licenses of facilities housing immigrant kids

June 1, 2021

Migrant sisters recount crossing U.S. border alone while their mother stayed behind

May 26, 2021

HHS secretary dismisses reports of unsanitary conditions, distressed migrant kids at massive emergency shelter

Biden administration scraps plans to house “tender age” migrant children at Texas Army base

May 24, 2021

Advocates Say Biden Administration Is Violating Pact On Detaining Migrant Children

May 21, 2021

For Migrant Children in Federal Care, a ‘Sense of Desperation’

May 18, 2021

Migrant children have been in US custody for weeks. Now the Biden administration has to reunite them with families

May 13, 2021

Migrant children held in mass shelters with little oversight

May 11, 2021

U.S. Reduces Migrant Children in Border Patrol Custody, but Emergency Shelters Pose New Concerns

May 5, 2021

Migrant children stuck in limbo as Biden administration opens emergency shelters nationwide

April 27, 2021

Biden administration reopens influx centers for unaccompanied minors

February 26, 2021

Amid surge, US tries to expedite release of migrant children

February 24, 2021

Members of Congress Call for End to Expulsions of Children, Demand Answers from DHS and CDC

November 2, 2020

Statement from the National Center for Youth Law on September 4 Ruling in Flores v. Barr

September 4, 2020

The Government’s Detention of Children in Motels Violates the Flores Settlement Agreement

July 29, 2020

Court Finds that the Federal Government is Failing to Comply with Order Regarding the Release of Immigrant Children

May 22, 2020

Judge Finds Administration Has Unnecessarily Delayed The Release Of Children In Federal Custody During Covid-19 Pandemic

April 24, 2020

Court Orders Every Effort Be Made to Promptly and Safely Release Immigrant Children

April 10, 2020

Prominent congressional members, interfaith, and advocacy organizations file amicus briefs in support of the Flores Settlement

January 28, 2020

Sept. 27, 2019 Statement: Federal Court Ruling Strikes Down Government Regulations Aimed at Terminating Flores

September 27, 2019

Migrant Youth Go From A Children’s Shelter To Adult Detention On Their 18th Birthday

February 22, 2019

Florida Shelter Is Scrutinized For The Way It Handles Migrant Children

February 13, 2019

Migrant children in U.S. are being held in unlicensed shelters, lawyers say

January 24, 2019

Huge migrant teen detention camp in Texas shutting down

January 11, 2019

Caregivers for 3600 migrant teens lack complete abuse checks

December 7, 2018

Government could hold migrant families indefinitely in unlicensed detention centers under new plan

November 19, 2018

After family separation at border, Guatemalan teen’s mental health collapsed during 11-month detention

September 27, 2018

A Revival of Internment Camps? Proposal Floated for Indefinite Family Detention

September 13, 2018

Trump detention move on immigrant families promises to draw court challenge

September 9, 2018

Sen. Blunt Unsure of Legality of Migrant Children Detention Plan

September 7, 2018

Statement on the proposed regulations to implement the Flores Settlement

September 6, 2018

Stricter vetting for migrant youth means taxpayers spend more — and parents wait

August 29, 2018

The Trump Administration Was Ordered to Stop Drugging Kids in Custody

August 1, 2018

“This Entire System Is Designed to Make Things Impossible for Immigrants”

July 2, 2018

Sponsors of Migrant Children Face Steep Transport Fees and Red Tape

July 1, 2018

Lawsuit: The forced drugging of migrant children is illegal

June 29, 2018

12-year-old immigrant prescribed antidepressants in shelter due to distress over family separation, lawsuit alleges

Lawsuit: Counsel from Original Flores Complaint Join Immigrant Children to End Cruel Government Detention Policies

Immigrant Children Forcibly Medicated While in U.S. Custody, Lawyers Say

June 25, 2018

The History Of The Flores Settlement And Its Effects On Immigration

June 22, 2018

Lawsuit alleges improper medication of migrant children in federal shelters

June 21, 2018

Analysis: Why Trump’s attempt to lengthen detentions for immigrant minors will likely fail

June 20, 2018

Legal battle looms over Trump’s new plan to detain immigrant families

Kids who cross the border meet with therapists and social workers. What they say can be used against them.

June 18, 2018

Abogados piden intervención de tribunal en detención prolongada y uso de drogas en menores migrantes

April 20, 2018

Government’s Indefinite Detention and Unlawful Drugging of Immigrant and Refugee Children Challenged

April 17, 2018

Detained Immigrant Children Are Entitled to Hearings, Court Rules

July 5, 2017

Overview

The settlement calls on Federal authorities to treat “all minors with dignity, respect and special concern for their particular vulnerability as minors. The agreement establishes minimum standards for initial detention and a policy favoring release of minors. It also requires that children who remain in federal custody be placed in the least restrictive environment and mandates provision of information, treatment and services.