A significant US federal court ruling has delivered a major blow to a contentious immigration policy from the Trump administration, declaring it unlawful to house unaccompanied migrant children in overcrowded shelter conditions.
The policy, introduced in 2020 by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), had removed long-standing guidelines that required shelters to provide each child with their own bed and limited room occupancy. This change effectively permitted facilities to house multiple children in a single room and have them share beds.
Landmark Legal Challenge
The case was brought forward by the states of Illinois and Arizona, who argued that the rollback of these standards jeopardised the health and safety of vulnerable minors in federal custody. They contended that overcrowding would facilitate the rapid spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19.
US District Judge Dolly Gee agreed with the plaintiffs, issuing a permanent injunction against the policy. In her ruling, she stated that the ORR had failed to provide a reasonable justification for abolishing the previous standards designed to protect children's wellbeing.
A Return to Child-Centric Standards
This decisive judgement mandates that the ORR must immediately revert to the pre-2020 guidelines. These reinstated rules guarantee each child their own bed and impose strict limits on the number of children allowed per room, ensuring more humane and sanitary living conditions.
The ruling represents a substantial victory for child advocacy groups and state attorneys general who have fought to uphold duty of care standards for the thousands of minors who enter US federal custody each year.
