AUSTIN, Texas — A federal judge on Friday dealt a significant blow to the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, blocking its effort to end long-standing legal protections for immigrant children in federal custody. The ruling preserves a 1997 court settlement, known as the Flores agreement, which sets standards for the care of minors in U.S. immigration detention centers, including requirements for education, health care, and limits on confinement conditions.
“The administration’s attempt to revoke these protections would leave vulnerable children without the safeguards they’ve depended on,” the judge wrote in the decision.
The Flores settlement has been a cornerstone of U.S. immigration law for nearly three decades. Initially enacted to address inhumane detention conditions, it requires that minors be held in the “least restrictive setting” possible. The Trump administration argued that the agreement was outdated and hindered immigration enforcement. But Judge Emily Larson of the Western District of Texas disagreed, ruling that conditions at U.S. border facilities still made the protections necessary. She emphasized repeated reports of overcrowding and poor sanitation in some facilities.
Immigrant rights groups hailed the decision as a victory. “This ruling ensures children are treated with dignity and humanity,” said Donald Whitehead, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. Advocates stressed that dismantling the protections would increase risks of abuse and neglect in detention centers. The administration has not yet commented on whether it will appeal.
The decision comes as the White House pursues stricter enforcement policies, including expanded family detention. Analysts suggest the ruling could complicate those efforts and embolden legal challenges from advocacy groups. “It’s clear the courts remain skeptical of policies that sideline child welfare for the sake of expediency,” said David Bier, an immigration policy expert at the Cato Institute. For now, immigrant children in U.S. custody will continue to be shielded by the settlement — a protection advocates say is critical amid ongoing debates over immigration reform.