Mayor Rahm Emanuel today announced that the City of Chicago led a coalition of 20 cities and other local governments from across the United States in submitting a formal comment opposing the Trump Administration’s attempt to flout court-mandated safeguards pertaining to the detention of immigrant children in U.S. custody.

“Children and families seeking safety and a brighter future in America should not be detained or warehoused as criminals, and Chicago is proud to lead the fight against policies that are cruel, unnecessary and unlawful. Chicago is a city built on the contributions of immigrants and refugees, and we will always welcome and stand up for those who seek a better life in our great city and this great country by fighting back against the Trump Administration and its attempts to divide families and our nation,” said Mayor Emanuel.

The coalition of local governments has grave concerns with the proposed rules, which were published on September 7, 2018 by the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, because those rules seek to undo the state-licensing requirements and procedural protections guaranteed to immigrant children under the 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement. If enacted, the proposed rules would result in longer detentions and lower standards of care for immigrant children, thus increasing the risks of harm to the children and impeding the local governments’ ability to ensure that they are fully integrated into their communities.

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