Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief opposing efforts by the Trump administration to terminate the Flores Settlement Agreement, a 1997 court agreement that governs the treatment of children in immigration custody.
The brief urges the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to block the administration’s attempt, arguing that ending the agreement would allow expanded and prolonged detention of children without state licensing or oversight of facilities.
The coalition argues that the Flores Settlement Agreement establishes standards intended to protect children’s health and safety, including requirements for state-licensed facilities, timely release to appropriate guardians, and least-restrictive placements. They contend that terminating the agreement would undermine states’ authority over child welfare, expand family detention in unlicensed settings, and increase the length of time children are held in immigration custody, potentially causing long-term harm. The brief follows earlier court rulings that limited prior attempts to end the agreement and comes amid renewed litigation after the administration appealed a district court decision rejecting termination.
