The Department of Homeland Security said it is complying with an order from Federal Judge Dolly M. Gee who ruled in July that ICE violated a decades old settlement by holding illegal-alien families and children in detention centers. The agency had until October 23 to comply.
“In light of the October 23 deadline for compliance with the court’s Flores order, DHS has worked diligently to ensure that we are in compliance with all aspects of the court’s order,” the agency said. Homeland Security Secretary, Jeh Johnson, has appealed the order but did not ask for a stay so the agency must currently comply with the order.
The detention policy was a response to the border surge of unaccompanied alien minors and families last year. At the height of the surge last summer more than 20,000 parents and children were crossing the border illegally each month. After last summer this number dropped but picked back up again hitting 10,000 a month in August and September of this year. Homeland Security opened up several facilities in order to handle the influx of border crossings and deter other potential crossers from Central-America.
The move has severely hampered ICE’s ability to enforce the few remaining “aggressive” policies from President Obama’s plan to deal with the surge of illegal border crossers.
Read more at The Washington Times.
