Press Release

August 21, 2019
Cardin Opposes Trump Administration Effort to Overturn Flores Settlement
New Rule Could Lead to Indefinite Detention of Migrant Children

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin issued the following statement in response to DHS and HHS announcing a new rule to overturn the Flores Settlement Agreement.

“I strongly oppose the Trump Administration’s attempt to overturn the Flores settlement, which is specifically designed to protect the welfare of migrant children through vigorous judicial oversight.  I recently witnessed first-hand at the border how the Trump Administration is already failing its legal and moral obligations to protect migrant children and their families.  The DHS Inspector General has already documented the dangerous and unhealthy conditions at U.S. border facilities.  This new rule should be immediately reversed either by the Administration, the courts, or Congress. 

Instead of manufacturing a new humanitarian crisis, the Administration should sit down with Congress – which under the Constitution has the responsibility to “establish a uniform rule of naturalization” – and work to enact in good faith a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform package.  Such a package would address the root causes of migration from Central America, improve our asylum system for those fleeing violence and persecution at home, provide a pathway to citizenship for eligible individuals, and strengthen our border security.”

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