Monitor calls on US to stop detaining migrant kids in hotels
HOUSTON (AP) — A court-appointed monitor for immigrant youth called on the U.S. government to stop detaining children as young as 1 in hotels before expelling them to their home countries, saying the practice could lead to emotional and physical harm.
In a report filed late Wednesday, Andrea Ordin also said there appeared to be a “lack of formal oversight” over the contractors hired by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain children at Hampton Inn & Suites hotels in three cities.
“Isolating a child alone in a hotel room for 10-14 days can have a more harmful emotional impact than that seen in adults,” she wrote. She also noted there was no apparent lower age limit for children held at hotels and that ICE had not issued “consistent or formal care requirements” for young children's hygiene, nutrition, or well-being.
The Trump administration is detaining and expelling children instead of turning them over to government shelters under an emergency declaration citing the coronavirus. The administration argues it must shut down the U.S.-Mexico border to asylum seekers due to the virus, but advocates allege the virus is being used as an excuse to circumvent federal anti-trafficking law and court-ordered standards for the treatment of children under what's known as the Flores settlement.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/monitor-calls-on-us-to-stop-detaining-migrant-kids-in-hotels/ar-BB176EPr?li=BBnb7Kz
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