Judge Gee Orders 2 New Monitors for Migrant Children Detention Under 1997 Flores Settlement
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 18
Judge Gee Orders 2 New Monitors for Migrant Children Detention Under 1997 Flores Settlement
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 18
Summary
Monday’s order appoints an independent monitor and a special master after Judge Dolly M. Gee found likely unsafe temperatures, poor sleeping conditions and denied soap at detention centers in Texas and California.
Court filings showed what Gee called stark conflicts between government compliance claims and detainee accounts under the 1997 Flores settlement, which requires prompt release and basic care for children 17 and younger.
Families described medical lapses including a 10-year-old waiting nearly 60 days to see a cardiologist, a child left in pain with appendicitis and a 2-year-old sent to a hospital only after six days of fever.
The ruling deepens court oversight of a long-running agreement that sets minimum standards for meals, water, clothing, education and medical assistance for children in U.S. immigration custody.