Washington state joins coalition to challenge Trump Administration on child detention

Earlier this month, the Trump administration issued a rule to withdraw from the Flores agreement. Less than a week later, a coalition of states and the District of Columbia is ready to challenge that move in court.

The Flores Agreement places the responsibility on the federal government to set basic standards of care for youth detained at the border.

This includes limiting their time in detention, typically to no more than 20 days. It also delineates what services and kinds of care the youth should have access to.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said that the Trump Administration is trying to "rewrite those rules."

The administration in turn said withdrawing from Flores is meant to close immigration loopholes and deter families from entering the U.S. without documentation.

Immigration advocates argue the federal government is currently not meeting standards of care and withdrawing from Flores, means kids and families could remain detained indefinitely.

Washington state is one of 19 other states in the suit that also includes D.C.

This is the 47th lawsuit the Washington attorney general’s office has launched against the Trump administration since 2017.