Washington state suing over rollback of child immigrant protections

Washington is among the 19 states that are suing the Trump administration over its effort to change rules that limit how long immigrant children can be kept in detention.

A decades-old agreement known as the Flores settlement says immigrant children must be kept in the least restrictive setting and generally shouldn't spend more than 20 days in detention. The Trump administration says it plans its own set of regulations that would allow longer detention of immigrant families.

A judge must OK the proposed changes in order to end the Flores agreement.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office said the administration’s new rules remove significant protections against the mistreatment of immigrant children and families picked up at the U.S. border and allows for them to be held indefinitely in facilities without adequate standards of care or state oversight.

According to a release from the AG's office, interviews with immigrant children and teenagers in Washington state facilities revealed “appalling conditions” at federal detention facilities, with no toothbrushes, soap or access to showers.

The AG’s office said children reported being housed in “extremely cramped cells” with younger children being put in cages for punishment and guards throwing food on the ground for children to fight over.

More stories are detailed in a declaration the state expects to file in the case in the coming weeks.

Children also reported lights being kept on 24 hours a day and freezing temperatures.

The states involved in the lawsuit in addition to Washington are: California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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