U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement must release children currently held in the country's three family detention centers for more than 20 days by July 17 because of concerns over the coronavirus, U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee of California ordered Friday.
Gee said the centers, which house 124 children, are "on fire," citing one Texas facility that has at least 11 confirmed cases, and the children should be released to "non-congregate settings" and "suitable sponsors," including potentially their own parents, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The ruling applies only to children and does not compel ICE to release their parents, but it does suggest the agency could use tracking devices on some parents if it's the only way to release children safely.
In response to the ruling, which NBC News notes is part of ongoing litigation over the 1997 Flores agreement — which limits how long minors can be held in ICE custody — the White House accused Gee of being part of a group of "activist judges" who "have imposed their own vision in the place of duly enacted laws." Read more at NBC News and NPR.
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