Trump Faces Long-Shot Bid to Jail Migrant Families Indefinitely
- New rule faces immediate court challenge, migrants lawyer says
- Flores changes to end ‘incentives’ for immigrants, U.S. says
The U.S. Border Patrol Central Processing Center in McAllen, Texas.
Photographer: The Washington Post/Getty Images
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President Donald Trump’s plan to scrap a 22-year-old agreement that governs the treatment of detained migrant children is doomed to fail in court but may energize his supporters as he seeks re-election, legal experts say.
The government says it expects to publish a final rule by Friday to replace the 1997 Flores settlement, which Trump has often derided. The new regulations would allow authorities to detain migrant families indefinitely while their cases are processed instead of abiding by a current 20-day limit on detaining children.