Judge denies call to detain immigrant families together

LOS ANGELES — A California federal judge on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s efforts to detain immigrant families in longterm facilities, calling it a “cynical attempt” to undo a longstanding court settlement.

U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee said the federal government had failed to present new evidence to support revising a court order that limits the detention of children who crossed the border illegally.

The Department of Justice asked Gee to alter a 1997 settlement after the president reversed a policy of separating migrant children from their parents that caused an uproar when emotional scenes of families being split were caught on camera. The government wanted to alter the settlement so it could detain families together long-term.

Gee called the government’s request “a cynical attempt” to shift responsibility to the court “for over 20 years of Congressional inaction and ill-considered executive action that have led to the current stalemate.”

Gee said the government’s had sought to “replow the same familiar territory” it had three years ago when she rejected a similar effort by the Obama administration.

The application to change the agreement in the case named for lead plaintiff Jenny Flores was “procedurally improper and wholly without merit,” Gee said.

A Department of Justice spokesman said the agency disagreed with the ruling; he did not say if it would appeal.

Children can be detained together if their parents waive their right to release them to the custody of a family member.

Attorney Peter Schey, who represents detained children in the settlement, said President Donald Trump had falsely claimed the settlement required the separation of families.