Judge appoints monitor to oversee U.S. child immigration detention

U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee has appointed an independent monitor to oversee conditions for children in immigration detention. The order follows findings of numerous violations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, including inadequate medical care and prolonged detention periods at facilities such as the Dilley lock-up.

Immigrant families are increasingly facing difficult choices between fighting deportation orders and remaining in detention. In one case, immigration Judge Saul Greenstein ordered Ana Kikabidze and her two children to be deported to Georgia. Because an appeal could take months, the family faced the choice of staying in detention during the legal process or accepting deportation to avoid further confinement.

Data analysis indicates that more than 66,000 parents and children have been detained and deported since the start of the Trump administration. While Congress has not passed specific laws governing child detention, the Flores Settlement remains a key legal framework regarding the detention of minors.