Contact: Sheena Pegarido, 202.559.4431
Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition Concerned About Trump Administration’s Proposed Changes To Law Protecting Immigrant Children
CAIR Coalition Urges Supporters to Participate in Comment Period to Oppose Changes to Flores Settlement
WASHINGTON (Sept. 20, 2018) — The Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights (CAIR) Coalition condemns the Trump Administration’s proposal to change the law that protects detained immigrant children and urges supporters to oppose the changes during the public comment period.
Earlier this month, the Administration proposed regulations to replace the Flores settlement, a 1997 federal court decision that requires immigrant children to be released to the custody of their parents or another relative as soon as possible, and ensures that those kept in custody are held in safe conditions and provided basic necessities.
The pending proposal seeks to detain immigrant families together indefinitely until their cases are resolved. In addition, the proposed changes will limit and erase these immigrants’ access to legal representation.
“Due process demands that detained adults and children must have access to counsel — this current proposal will effectively eliminate that,” said Karine Noncent, Interim Program Director of the Detained Children’s Program at CAIR Coalition. “Further, indefinite detention of children and families is cruel and inhumane. Prolonged detention has detrimental effects on the long-term mental and physical health of children.”
The 60-day public comment period has begun and will end on November 6, 2018. CAIR Coalition urges its supporters to oppose the proposed changes by going to https://www.regulations.gov, type “ICEB-2018-0002” in the “Search” box, and click “Comment Now!”
For more information about CAIR Coalition’s work, visit www.caircoalition.org.
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The Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition strives to ensure equal justice for all immigrant men, women, and children at risk of detention and deportation in the DC metropolitan area and beyond through direct legal representation, know your rights presentations, impact and advocacy work, and the training of attorneys defending immigrants in the immigration and criminal justice arenas. More information can be found at http://www.caircoalition.org.
