AUSTIN—The Texas Public Policy Foundation released the following statement on the Trump Administration’s new rule to rectify existing loopholes within the Flores Settlement Agreement:
“More than any other policy, the Flores Settlement Agreement is responsible for the practice of “catch and release” at the border, which has become a magnet for illegal immigration and a major driver of the current border crisis,” said John Daniel Davidson, senior fellow with the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Right on Immigration Initiative. “It is long past time to do away with Flores and enact a sensible policy that protects families while respecting the rule of law. The new rule will ensure that children are kept with their families while their case is being adjudicated, while improving the standards of care while they are in federal custody. By guaranteeing that families would be released after 20 days, Flores has incentivized the trafficking of children and the abuse of our immigration system.”