Flores Settlement Agreement sets minimum standards for detained immigrant children

On January 28, 1997, the federal government and immigrant rights attorneys signed the Flores v. Reno Settlement Agreement, ending a class action lawsuit filed in 1985 on behalf of immigrant children detained by the former Immigration and Naturalization Service. The settlement requires the government to release detained children without unnecessary delay, prioritizing release to parents or adult relatives. For children who remain detained, it mandates age-appropriate settings, access to family contact, and basic necessities including food, water, and medical care. Its most enforced provision prohibits detention of children for more than 20 days without transfer to a licensed facility.