Latest news with #childdetention
SBS Australia
11-07-2025
- SBS Australia
Blood, rats, self-harm: The disturbing truth about police cells where children are held
This article contains distressing content. Tiny, windowless cells with no access to fresh air, or open-air cells infested with rats and insects. Exposure to blood, other bodily fluids and faeces. Fluorescent lights kept on 24/7, making it difficult to sleep. There are sometimes no doors on the showers or toilets, so female prisoners are exposed to male prisoners, while girls are exposed to adult prisoners or boys. The conditions are so poor that some prisoners deliberately injure themselves to be transferred to hospital. There have long been human rights concerns surrounding Queensland's police watch houses, where children are held indefinitely. Source: Supplied / Queensland Police Union These are some of the conditions many detainees — including children — are facing in Queensland's police watch houses, a damning review has revealed . Watch houses are police holding cells — they're designed for adults, but in Queensland, children as young as 11 are also held here indefinitely, while awaiting trial or transfer to a youth detention centre. The internal review into the state's watch house system was launched by the Queensland Police Service (QPS) last August, following an increase in complaints. It also came after media reports of human rights concerns, including a joint investigation by The Feed and Guardian Australia which showed — for the first time — footage of children being locked inside isolation cells, allegedly for punishment. The review has highlighted issues that have been overlooked for years, facilities crumbling into disrepair, ill-equipped staff and an environment that is "unsafe for minors". "Watch-houses are not equipped to provide the space, privacy, natural light or support needed for children's physical and psychological well-being," the report said. "This can result in heightened anxiety, distress and an increased risk of self-harm." Children locked up for weeks There are 63 watch houses in Queensland — in 2024, more than 78,000 prisoners passed through them. Watch houses are not designed to hold people for more than 72 hours — however, children are sometimes held there for weeks on end. The review found children who were remanded or sentenced spent an average of 161 hours (over 6 days) in the watch house — and stays of more than 14 days were not uncommon. "The Review found that longer prisoner stays in watch-houses can lead to increased rates of non-compliance by prisoners and increase in self-harm events," the report said. A perfect storm of factors has led to children being locked up for longer — including a lack of beds in the overflowing youth detention centres, under-resourced courts, Queensland's strict bail laws and a crackdown on youth crime. For years, human rights groups have called for the release of children from watch houses, while oversight bodies have criticised the long-term detainment of children. Debbie Kilroy is the chief executive of Sisters Inside, an advocacy group for women and girls in prison. "Queensland's watch houses are dangerous, degrading, and unfit for any human being, let alone children," Kilroy said. "Right now, even as this report is being circulated, children are sitting in concrete boxes under fluorescent lights, with no schooling, no privacy, and no access to fresh air. This is not a question of capacity—it is a question of cruelty. "We must divest from police. We must shut down watch houses. And we must get our girls out." Vulnerable groups at risk While the review stressed "watch-houses are not suitable places for vulnerable groups" – including women, girls and children – there was an increase in the length of stays for these groups between 2021 and 2024. People in watch houses have higher rates of health issues compared to the general population — including mental health concerns, suicidal ideation, disabilities and substance abuse. The review also acknowledged women and girls in custody are often survivors of domestic violence, sexual abuse and trauma. It said: "The watch-house environment is largely designed with adult men in mind, leaving female prisoners with insufficient access to gender-responsive healthcare services". Staff find it challenging to assess prisoners' health needs, and there are often no on-site health services available. There's been a rise in complaints about watch houses, including the behaviour of watch house staff. The review found a quarter of the allegations are related to assault or excessive use of force, with around one in four relating to child prisoners. However, it noted: "the vast majority of total complaints … were unsubstantiated". Government and police accept recommendations The watch house review has made 34 recommendations, including urging the Queensland government to consider a maximum length of stay for watch house prisoners. Other recommendations include enhancing bail processes to minimise the use of watch houses and revising the training of staff. Both the Queensland Police Service and Queensland government have accepted the recommendations. Police Minister Dan Purdie has announced $16 million in funding to upgrade watch house facilities. He also said the watch house has become a more dangerous place to work. "One in seven staff and police who work in watch houses [are] the victim of assault, which is greater than that on the front line," Purdie told reporters on Thursday. "We will work with the police methodically and diligently to ensure that we have a strategy moving forward to ensure our police have a safer place to work and the facilities they need, to do their job and keep Queenslanders and themselves safe." Police deputy commissioner of regional services, Cameron Harsley, acknowledged significant work needs to be done to overhaul the watch house system. "The watch house officers … are doing a tireless job in challenging situations with very difficult people that we manage in watch houses, but we do that to keep our community safe and keep those that are at most danger to our community off the streets of Queensland." Readers seeking crisis support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged up to 25). More information and support with mental health is available at and on 1300 22 4636. If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit If you or someone you know is feeling worried or unwell, we encourage you to call 13YARN on 13 92 76 and talk with an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter. Aboriginal Counselling Services can be contacted on (02) 4707 7989.
ABC News
08-07-2025
- ABC News
Accidentally unredacted document reveals issues with children at Tasmanian watch houses
Staff at two Tasmanian prisons have "urgently" requested body-worn cameras and reported "high levels of anxiety" when managing children in watch houses, a mistakenly unredacted document shows. Using the Right to Information (RTI) process, the ABC requested information about complaints or concerns regarding Tasmanian children being held in adult custodial facilities — where they await court, bail or police interview. RTI — sometimes called Freedom of Information — is a system that helps people access documents and other public-interest information held by public authorities. When journalists or members of the public receive documents through RTI, they are usually partly blacked out as to not disclose information. The ABC made an RTI request to the Department of Justice, the public authority for the Tasmanian Prison Service. Two months later, a 14-page document was received. See more details of the ABC's request, the information provided and relevant parts of the Right to Information Act, here. By mistake, the document received was completely free from redaction, revealing in full an "issues register" from 2024, where prison staff listed concerns around the detention of children in watch houses and the Department of Justice responded with suggestions or actions to address them. Within minutes the department sent another email saying they "would like to recall" the document. It then sent a second, corrected version of the document, which was completely redacted aside from several paragraphs and a one-page introduction. Watch houses are designed for temporary detention and lack the facilities of long-term prisons or detention centres. The department told the ABC that redactions were made where the document contained personally identifying information, deliberative information, and information "out-of-scope" of the request. The unredacted version contained no names or personally identifying details. The ABC has decided to publish this story, after reviewing the information. The ABC can reveal the hidden information was indicative of staff concerns that: The Department of Justice has since told the ABC: The department said it was in the final stages of acquiring body-worn cameras in reception prisons — where watch houses are located — "with implementation expected before the end of the year". In the issues register, the department responded to staff concerns about health and hygiene risks for children, saying it would "upgrade infrastructure to allow young people to tend to basic hygiene and self-care". "Reducing the risk of trauma to young people in reception prisons remains a key priority. The department is committed to ongoing improvements." Tasmanian prison staff, who manage youth in watch houses on behalf of Tasmania Police, said police officers "regularly" told detainees they "will be at the WH [watch house] for a little while" — which can negatively impact their mental and physiological state. Dysregulation refers to an inability to control or regulate emotional responses. Staff also said police provided insufficient information when transferring people to watch houses, resulting in "significant operational risks and impacts the safety of detainees". But police say an admission form for each detainee outlining personal details, behavioural risks, medical information and child safety concerns is provided to prison staff. "Tasmania Police aims to provide timely and accurate information to prison staff regarding a youth in custody at the time the youth is detained," a police spokesperson said. The department said over the next five years it intended to "advocate for Youth Justice Blueprint to incorporate watch house facility for young people". Johan Lidberg, an associate professor at Monash University, believed because the document was "in the highest public interest" and did not identify people, it was not reasonable to keep it hidden — and considered the "personal information" exemption did not apply. The department was asked for more details on the decision to not disclose the information. It replied: "As outlined in the right to information decision, if you are dissatisfied with the decision you may seek an internal review under section 43 of the Right to Information Act 2009 (the Act)." The ABC requested details of: "Complaints, concerns or similar regarding children and young people being held in an adult remand facility and related correspondence from 2022 to 2025." One 14-page document was given to the ABC titled "Engaging with Young People Training — Issues and Responses". It included a one-page introduction and then a table with two columns — one outlining staff-raised issues with dealing with young people in watch houses and the other with the department's written response to the issue. It was initially completely unredacted but with red outline boxes left around some sections, and then, minutes later a version with those boxes redacted was sent through in which almost all the document was redacted. The initial introduction as well as some sections on pages 2 and 3 were left unredacted. No staff or detainees were named in the document. The department said redactions were made according to the following parts of Tasmania's Right to Information Act: Exemptions subject to public interest test Section 35 — 'Internal deliberative information' I consider that disclosing the above listed items, which contain material compiled by departmental officers may contain information which is wrong or inaccurate — see clause (u) of Schedule 1. The material contains records of ongoing consultations between officers, including material which is deliberative in nature. It is also important to note that the material relates to exchanges by relatively junior Departmental employees and there is no information to indicate their views would be adopted as a formal policy. I also consider that the nature of the comments of Departmental officers are deliberate in nature and should not be disclosed. Officers must feel free to provide their opinions, advice and recommendations, and to participate openly in consultative and deliberative processes, in order for decision and action resulting from those processes to be robust. The overriding public interest consideration is the need to ensure that there is a frank exchange of views between officers when making decisions. The disclosure of consultations or deliberations would likely prevent such exchanges from occurring, with a consequent detrimental impact on good decision-making. Further, it would also lead to a reluctance to document the reasons for decision, with a consequent loss in transparency in the decision-making process. Section 36 — 'Personal information of a person' I consider that disclosing the personal information of members of the public would be detrimental to the interests of those persons — see clause (m) of Schedule 1. The personal information of people who have been held at a watch-house is not in the public domain and those persons might suffer discrimination by reason of their having been in these facilities if disclosed. As a consequence of the above, I am of the opinion that the factor favouring disclosure are outweighed by those against disclosure and it is not in the public interest to provide the personal information of a members of the public. 'Information out of scope' I consider that part of the material contains information which is out of scope of your request. The relevant material has been redacted and marked accordingly.
CNN
18-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
‘We didn't see the daylight': Migrant families describe prolonged detention in border facilities
Migrant families with young children, including toddlers, were held for days and sometimes weeks in US Customs and Border Protection facilities, some with jail-like conditions, according to interviews conducted by attorneys tied to immigrant advocacy groups and submitted Tuesday in federal court. The filings reveal details of families being detained this year in border facilities, which are not designed for that purpose, for extended periods of time despite a steep drop in migrant crossings, raising alarm among attorneys who argue CBP detention is not equipped to care for people, especially children. The court filings are part of a decades-old legal agreement governing conditions for migrant children in government custody. Tuesday's motion requests that CBP stop detaining children for prolonged periods of time in poor conditions and requests more precise data from the agency after recent discrepancies. 'During their extended detention, CBP holds children in increasingly harsh conditions, including in ports of entry ('POE'), which are meant to hold individuals for only a few hours, in violation of (the settlement). Children are particularly vulnerable to the trauma caused by the confusion, cruelty, and deprivation endemic to CBP custody,' the motion reads. The 1997 Flores settlement, as it's known, requires the government to release children from government custody without unnecessary delay to sponsors, such as parents or adult relatives, and dictates conditions by which children are held. It applies to children who crossed the US-Mexico border alone, as well as those who arrived with family. Attorneys who represent the Flores settlement class are permitted to meet with children and their family members in government custody to interview them. In one case, a mother and her toddler, separated from her father, were held at a border facility in California for 42 days, according to the family's telling in a court declaration. The officers allowed the father to visit two times. 'Since being separated from her father, (redacted)'s behavior has changed. She used to speak a lot before, and now she's not speaking anymore. She previously used five or six words, like 'mom' 'dad' and 'yes,' now she doesn't talk at all,' the filing states, detailing a room where 23 women and children were held with no windows. 'It was so crowded that we couldn't even step forwards or backwards,' the declaration says. 'We spent all 42 days in that same place. We didn't see the daylight. We only went outside when we went to the different place where the showers are.' CNN has reached out to CBP for comment. The Flores settlement agreement doesn't prohibit the federal government from deporting a child and their family, but it states that children can't be kept in immigration detention for prolonged periods and should be considered for release. According to Tuesday's filings, 'Instead, CBP keeps accompanied children in its custody until it removes them from the United States or transfers them to ICE custody where they can request parole from ICE.' Attorneys found that even though migrant crossings have plummeted at the US southern border, 301 children were detained in CBP custody for more than 72 hours in February. Of those, the majority were detained for more than seven days. In April, when US Border Patrol encounters hovered around 8,300, 213 children were held more than 72 hours and 14 children were held for more than 20 days, including toddlers, according to the filing. The data is based on reports provided by CBP. 'The number of children crossing our borders is the lowest in decades, but the cruelty they are experiencing in government custody is at an all-time high,' said Leecia Welch, deputy litigation director at Children's Rights, who interviewed some of the families and children in custody. 'We are heaping trauma on defenseless children who came here seeking our protection. With this motion, we return to court once again asking for nothing more than government accountability to ensure the humane treatment of children,' she added. Previous administrations, including the Biden administration, wrestled with border surges that strained federal resources and resulted in unaccompanied children, families and adults staying in border custody for days. Border facilities are intended for relatively short stays. CBP generally releases or transfers those in custody within 72 hours as a matter of practice, though that can often be extended in the event of space limitations for transfers to other agencies, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In the past, CBP has also paroled people into the United States on a case-by-case basis, depending on the individual or family circumstance. The Trump administration has moved to terminate the Flores settlement, arguing that it has hamstrung the federal government's policymaking and ability to respond to changing conditions along the border, including surges in recent years. 'The Executive has not been able to react fully and meaningfully to these changes because the (Flores settlement agreement) has ossified federal-immigration policy,' the Trump Justice Department said in a recent court filing. 'Successive Administrations have tried unsuccessfully to free themselves from the strictures of the consent decree and this Court's gloss on it. But detention of juvenile aliens continues to be—as it has been for more than a generation—dominated by the strictures of a 1997 agreement.' But the combination of low border numbers and extended stays in CBP facilities has raised questions for attorneys, including whether some people are coming into CBP facilities from interior enforcement actions. 'The lengths in detention are lengthening despite the requirements of Flores and CBP policies and practices themselves. We're seeing a broader variety of troubling sites being put into play,' said Sergio Perez, executive director of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law and part of the Flores legal team. A family with a 5-year-old son was taken into custody after a traffic stop in Ohio. The parent and child were taken to an office building in the state where they stayed in a room for five days, according to a court declaration. 'The room had no windows to the outside. We couldn't tell whether it was day or night. There was a large window that looked out on the office space and agents working on their computers. All the agents were men,' the declaration states. 'The room had a toilet that was completely visible to anyone walking by the room. We could only go pee because it was so uncomfortable to go to the bathroom within the view of all those men,' it continues, adding that lights were left on at night. In another case, an 11-year-old and their mother were apprehended when they landed in the United States. They were held at O'Hare International Airport for five days, according to a court declaration. The filings include descriptions from migrants of border facilities with cold rooms, limited access to sanitary items, thin mattresses on the floor, mylar blankets, and limited or no access to the outdoors. The filings also include allegations that CBP officers used profanity, and in one case, told children to 'go home' when they asked for food. One family with two sons, including a 1-year-old and an infant who's only a 'few months,' was detained in a border facility for a month. 'It was extremely cold. My sons both got sick there because it was so cold. They did not allow us extra clothes for the kids. We had only aluminum blankets,' the declaration reads, adding: 'The lights were on all night, they never turned off. We spent these days inside without even seeing the sun.'
CNN
18-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
‘We didn't see the daylight': Migrant families describe prolonged detention in border facilities
Migrant families with young children, including toddlers, were held for days and sometimes weeks in US Customs and Border Protection facilities, some with jail-like conditions, according to interviews conducted by attorneys tied to immigrant advocacy groups and submitted Tuesday in federal court. The filings reveal details of families being detained this year in border facilities, which are not designed for that purpose, for extended periods of time despite a steep drop in migrant crossings, raising alarm among attorneys who argue CBP detention is not equipped to care for people, especially children. The court filings are part of a decades-old legal agreement governing conditions for migrant children in government custody. Tuesday's motion requests that CBP stop detaining children for prolonged periods of time in poor conditions and requests more precise data from the agency after recent discrepancies. 'During their extended detention, CBP holds children in increasingly harsh conditions, including in ports of entry ('POE'), which are meant to hold individuals for only a few hours, in violation of (the settlement). Children are particularly vulnerable to the trauma caused by the confusion, cruelty, and deprivation endemic to CBP custody,' the motion reads. The 1997 Flores settlement, as it's known, requires the government to release children from government custody without unnecessary delay to sponsors, such as parents or adult relatives, and dictates conditions by which children are held. It applies to children who crossed the US-Mexico border alone, as well as those who arrived with family. Attorneys who represent the Flores settlement class are permitted to meet with children and their family members in government custody to interview them. In one case, a mother and her toddler, separated from her father, were held at a border facility in California for 42 days, according to the family's telling in a court declaration. The officers allowed the father to visit two times. 'Since being separated from her father, (redacted)'s behavior has changed. She used to speak a lot before, and now she's not speaking anymore. She previously used five or six words, like 'mom' 'dad' and 'yes,' now she doesn't talk at all,' the filing states, detailing a room where 23 women and children were held with no windows. 'It was so crowded that we couldn't even step forwards or backwards,' the declaration says. 'We spent all 42 days in that same place. We didn't see the daylight. We only went outside when we went to the different place where the showers are.' CNN has reached out to CBP for comment. The Flores settlement agreement doesn't prohibit the federal government from deporting a child and their family, but it states that children can't be kept in immigration detention for prolonged periods and should be considered for release. According to Tuesday's filings, 'Instead, CBP keeps accompanied children in its custody until it removes them from the United States or transfers them to ICE custody where they can request parole from ICE.' Attorneys found that even though migrant crossings have plummeted at the US southern border, 301 children were detained in CBP custody for more than 72 hours in February. Of those, the majority were detained for more than seven days. In April, when US Border Patrol encounters hovered around 8,300, 213 children were held more than 72 hours and 14 children were held for more than 20 days, including toddlers, according to the filing. The data is based on reports provided by CBP. 'The number of children crossing our borders is the lowest in decades, but the cruelty they are experiencing in government custody is at an all-time high,' said Leecia Welch, deputy litigation director at Children's Rights, who interviewed some of the families and children in custody. 'We are heaping trauma on defenseless children who came here seeking our protection. With this motion, we return to court once again asking for nothing more than government accountability to ensure the humane treatment of children,' she added. Previous administrations, including the Biden administration, wrestled with border surges that strained federal resources and resulted in unaccompanied children, families and adults staying in border custody for days. Border facilities are intended for relatively short stays. CBP generally releases or transfers those in custody within 72 hours as a matter of practice, though that can often be extended in the event of space limitations for transfers to other agencies, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In the past, CBP has also paroled people into the United States on a case-by-case basis, depending on the individual or family circumstance. The Trump administration has moved to terminate the Flores settlement, arguing that it has hamstrung the federal government's policymaking and ability to respond to changing conditions along the border, including surges in recent years. 'The Executive has not been able to react fully and meaningfully to these changes because the (Flores settlement agreement) has ossified federal-immigration policy,' the Trump Justice Department said in a recent court filing. 'Successive Administrations have tried unsuccessfully to free themselves from the strictures of the consent decree and this Court's gloss on it. But detention of juvenile aliens continues to be—as it has been for more than a generation—dominated by the strictures of a 1997 agreement.' But the combination of low border numbers and extended stays in CBP facilities has raised questions for attorneys, including whether some people are coming into CBP facilities from interior enforcement actions. 'The lengths in detention are lengthening despite the requirements of Flores and CBP policies and practices themselves. We're seeing a broader variety of troubling sites being put into play,' said Sergio Perez, executive director of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law and part of the Flores legal team. A family with a 5-year-old son was taken into custody after a traffic stop in Ohio. The parent and child were taken to an office building in the state where they stayed in a room for five days, according to a court declaration. 'The room had no windows to the outside. We couldn't tell whether it was day or night. There was a large window that looked out on the office space and agents working on their computers. All the agents were men,' the declaration states. 'The room had a toilet that was completely visible to anyone walking by the room. We could only go pee because it was so uncomfortable to go to the bathroom within the view of all those men,' it continues, adding that lights were left on at night. In another case, an 11-year-old and their mother were apprehended when they landed in the United States. They were held at O'Hare International Airport for five days, according to a court declaration. The filings include descriptions from migrants of border facilities with cold rooms, limited access to sanitary items, thin mattresses on the floor, mylar blankets, and limited or no access to the outdoors. The filings also include allegations that CBP officers used profanity, and in one case, told children to 'go home' when they asked for food. One family with two sons, including a 1-year-old and an infant who's only a 'few months,' was detained in a border facility for a month. 'It was extremely cold. My sons both got sick there because it was so cold. They did not allow us extra clothes for the kids. We had only aluminum blankets,' the declaration reads, adding: 'The lights were on all night, they never turned off. We spent these days inside without even seeing the sun.'
CNN
18-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
‘We didn't see the daylight': Migrant families describe prolonged detention in border facilities
Migrant families with young children, including toddlers, were held for days and sometimes weeks in US Customs and Border Protection facilities, some with jail-like conditions, according to interviews conducted by attorneys tied to immigrant advocacy groups and submitted Tuesday in federal court. The filings reveal details of families being detained this year in border facilities, which are not designed for that purpose, for extended periods of time despite a steep drop in migrant crossings, raising alarm among attorneys who argue CBP detention is not equipped to care for people, especially children. The court filings are part of a decades-old legal agreement governing conditions for migrant children in government custody. Tuesday's motion requests that CBP stop detaining children for prolonged periods of time in poor conditions and requests more precise data from the agency after recent discrepancies. 'During their extended detention, CBP holds children in increasingly harsh conditions, including in ports of entry ('POE'), which are meant to hold individuals for only a few hours, in violation of (the settlement). Children are particularly vulnerable to the trauma caused by the confusion, cruelty, and deprivation endemic to CBP custody,' the motion reads. The 1997 Flores settlement, as it's known, requires the government to release children from government custody without unnecessary delay to sponsors, such as parents or adult relatives, and dictates conditions by which children are held. It applies to children who crossed the US-Mexico border alone, as well as those who arrived with family. Attorneys who represent the Flores settlement class are permitted to meet with children and their family members in government custody to interview them. In one case, a mother and her toddler, separated from her father, were held at a border facility in California for 42 days, according to the family's telling in a court declaration. The officers allowed the father to visit two times. 'Since being separated from her father, (redacted)'s behavior has changed. She used to speak a lot before, and now she's not speaking anymore. She previously used five or six words, like 'mom' 'dad' and 'yes,' now she doesn't talk at all,' the filing states, detailing a room where 23 women and children were held with no windows. 'It was so crowded that we couldn't even step forwards or backwards,' the declaration says. 'We spent all 42 days in that same place. We didn't see the daylight. We only went outside when we went to the different place where the showers are.' CNN has reached out to CBP for comment. The Flores settlement agreement doesn't prohibit the federal government from deporting a child and their family, but it states that children can't be kept in immigration detention for prolonged periods and should be considered for release. According to Tuesday's filings, 'Instead, CBP keeps accompanied children in its custody until it removes them from the United States or transfers them to ICE custody where they can request parole from ICE.' Attorneys found that even though migrant crossings have plummeted at the US southern border, 301 children were detained in CBP custody for more than 72 hours in February. Of those, the majority were detained for more than seven days. In April, when US Border Patrol encounters hovered around 8,300, 213 children were held more than 72 hours and 14 children were held for more than 20 days, including toddlers, according to the filing. The data is based on reports provided by CBP. 'The number of children crossing our borders is the lowest in decades, but the cruelty they are experiencing in government custody is at an all-time high,' said Leecia Welch, deputy litigation director at Children's Rights, who interviewed some of the families and children in custody. 'We are heaping trauma on defenseless children who came here seeking our protection. With this motion, we return to court once again asking for nothing more than government accountability to ensure the humane treatment of children,' she added. Previous administrations, including the Biden administration, wrestled with border surges that strained federal resources and resulted in unaccompanied children, families and adults staying in border custody for days. Border facilities are intended for relatively short stays. CBP generally releases or transfers those in custody within 72 hours as a matter of practice, though that can often be extended in the event of space limitations for transfers to other agencies, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In the past, CBP has also paroled people into the United States on a case-by-case basis, depending on the individual or family circumstance. The Trump administration has moved to terminate the Flores settlement, arguing that it has hamstrung the federal government's policymaking and ability to respond to changing conditions along the border, including surges in recent years. 'The Executive has not been able to react fully and meaningfully to these changes because the (Flores settlement agreement) has ossified federal-immigration policy,' the Trump Justice Department said in a recent court filing. 'Successive Administrations have tried unsuccessfully to free themselves from the strictures of the consent decree and this Court's gloss on it. But detention of juvenile aliens continues to be—as it has been for more than a generation—dominated by the strictures of a 1997 agreement.' But the combination of low border numbers and extended stays in CBP facilities has raised questions for attorneys, including whether some people are coming into CBP facilities from interior enforcement actions. 'The lengths in detention are lengthening despite the requirements of Flores and CBP policies and practices themselves. We're seeing a broader variety of troubling sites being put into play,' said Sergio Perez, executive director of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law and part of the Flores legal team. A family with a 5-year-old son was taken into custody after a traffic stop in Ohio. The parent and child were taken to an office building in the state where they stayed in a room for five days, according to a court declaration. 'The room had no windows to the outside. We couldn't tell whether it was day or night. There was a large window that looked out on the office space and agents working on their computers. All the agents were men,' the declaration states. 'The room had a toilet that was completely visible to anyone walking by the room. We could only go pee because it was so uncomfortable to go to the bathroom within the view of all those men,' it continues, adding that lights were left on at night. In another case, an 11-year-old and their mother were apprehended when they landed in the United States. They were held at O'Hare International Airport for five days, according to a court declaration. The filings include descriptions from migrants of border facilities with cold rooms, limited access to sanitary items, thin mattresses on the floor, mylar blankets, and limited or no access to the outdoors. The filings also include allegations that CBP officers used profanity, and in one case, told children to 'go home' when they asked for food. One family with two sons, including a 1-year-old and an infant who's only a 'few months,' was detained in a border facility for a month. 'It was extremely cold. My sons both got sick there because it was so cold. They did not allow us extra clothes for the kids. We had only aluminum blankets,' the declaration reads, adding: 'The lights were on all night, they never turned off. We spent these days inside without even seeing the sun.'
