The Flores Settlement Agreement, Explained
By Jennifer G. Hickey | July 2019
View The Flores Settlement Agreement, Explained (PDF)
What is the Flores Settlement Agreement?
In 1985, a number of class action lawsuits were filed related to the detention of minor aliens, including Jenny Flores, a 15-year old unaccompanied minor who was detained after attempting to enter the country illegally.
Her case resulted in a series of judicial rulings and policy decisions, culminating in a March 1993 Supreme Court decision in which the 7-2 majority ruled that unaccompanied minors do not have a constitutional right to be released to anyone other than a parent or close relative.
In 1997, the U.S. government entered into a consent decree, the Flores Settlement Agreement, which established immigration detention standards for unaccompanied alien children, including how long they may be detained and to whom they may be released (parent, guardian, relative, etc.).
https://www.fairus.org/issue/illegal-immigration/flores-settlement-agreement-explained
