Acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan announced this morning that the Trump administration is changing the Flores settlement, a decade’s old rule that forced the government to release children who had crossed the border illegally with their parents after 20 days in custody:

It's official: Kevin McAleenan, acting secretary of homeland security, just announced that the Trump administration now will use a new immigration rule that would allow it to detain immigrant families who cross the border illegally indefinitely, replacing the Flores settlement. — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 21, 2019

Now, when a child comes across the border with a family member, the entire family can be held together, thus ending family separations:

(1/5) Today, @DHSgov & @HHSgov have issued the “Flores Final Rule”, which allows DHS to keep families together during fair and expeditious immigration proceedings, and eliminates a key incentive that encourages traffickers to exploit children. — Acting Sec. Kevin McAleenan (@DHSMcAleenan) August 21, 2019

(2/5) Today’s action addresses a court-imposed weakness in immigration law that prevented DHS from detaining a family together for more than 20 days and codifies critical commitments on the conditions for children in Federal care. — Acting Sec. Kevin McAleenan (@DHSMcAleenan) August 21, 2019

(3/5) It will help address the dramatic 469% increase this year from the record number of family units apprehended in FY18. The incentive to cross the

border illegally with a vulnerable child must come to an end. — Acting Sec. Kevin McAleenan (@DHSMcAleenan) August 21, 2019

(4/5) This rule implements the commitments of the Flores settlement. While we continue to seek legislative solutions, we must take administrative action to address the ongoing security and humanitarian crisis. — Acting Sec. Kevin McAleenan (@DHSMcAleenan) August 21, 2019

(5/5) Keeping families together during immigration proceedings, & ensuring that asylum seekers w/ meritorious claims get resolution, are important steps to enhance the integrity of the system & extend protections to those that need them. See more here: https://t.co/fNibhnkxfH — Acting Sec. Kevin McAleenan (@DHSMcAleenan) August 21, 2019

President Trump’s goal here is to end catch-and-release:

Brandon Judd, President, National Border Patrol Council. “This will effectively end Catch and Release and curb illegal entries.” — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 21, 2019

But there is an open question on just where these families will be detained as the current (overwhelmed) system isn’t designed for it:

First the basics:

DHS (Homeland Sec) houses detained adult and family migrants.

HHS (Health&Human Services) houses migrant children who are *alone*. That does include a few who are separated, but mostly kids/teens who come here by themselves. 2/ — Tal Kopan (@TalKopan) August 21, 2019

Of course, libs will challenge this:

The Trump Administration is trying to "withdraw" from the Flores Settlement, which requires humane treatment of children in custody. It's a court order. The Trump Administration can't just "withdraw" from it. This is illegal, inhumane, and disturbing.https://t.co/vXQNYfRwzW — Rep. Val Demings (@RepValDemings) August 21, 2019

Groups such as “Families Belong Together” is quite mad that the administration will now keep families together:

If the Trump administration succeeds in terminating the Flores child protections, officials will be able to keep children in brutal conditions and jail migrants indefinitely. Children and families will continue to be abused and traumatized. — Families Belong Together (@fams2gether) August 21, 2019

As we know, conditions in detention camps are horrific; there are constant reports of abuse, and there is countless evidence of trauma. The least we can do is keep these protections in place so children get proper care in custody. — Families Belong Together (@fams2gether) August 21, 2019

Overall, this is just the latest example of how the Trump administration continues to manipulate the law and violate human rights. The bottom line is that migrant children DO NOT belong in detention and the camps need to be closed down immediately. — Families Belong Together (@fams2gether) August 21, 2019

When the “open borders” facade is lifted, this is what you see.

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