APA Speaks Out Against Administration Effort to Replace Flores Settlement

APA is speaking out against the Trump administration ’s attempt to nullify a longstanding legal settlement that limits the time that migrant children can be kept in detention.The Department of Homeland Security today issued arule that seeks to replace the Flores Settlement Agreement, the federal consent decree that has set basic standards for the detention of migrant children and teenagers by the United States since 1997. The new rule could expand family detention and increase the time children spend in custody.According to a report inThe Washington Post, Homeland Security officials said the rule would eliminate a 20-day cap for detaining migrant children and create a new license regime that would make it easier for federal officials to expand family detention nationwide. The new rule will require the approval of a federal judge.APA President Bruce Schwartz, M.D., said in astatement that the move will harm children. “A substantial body of research shows that stressful events during childhood can lead to long-term developmental, learning, and health problems, not to mention a heightened risk of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder,” he said. “The Flores Settlement Agreement was intended t o protect the well-being of children who are detained by immigration authorities, but the new rule would endanger their mental health by eliminating the 20-day limit on detainment and weakening licensing requirements of detention centers.”Flores is a 1997 legal set...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: detention of immigrant children Flores settlement replacement of Flores agreement Trump administration Source Type: research