Joe Biden's administration must "quickly" offer safe shelter to migrant minors who cross the border even if they have not yet been formally processed, instead of letting them remain outdoors in makeshift camps, it ruled Wednesday night. a federal judge. The Democratic Administration had refused to shelter them,
Judge Dolly M. Gee of the Central District Court of California ruled that migrant minors in processing centers along the border are in the legal custody of the Department of Homeland Security, so
they have basic rights such as a safe environment. and safe
, regardless of whether they have been processed by Border Patrol agents.
The judge's decision responds to a class action lawsuit filed by lawyers representing immigrant minors who allege they did not receive safe shelter before being processed. Immigrant advocates have denounced that many times they must wait for their turn under inclement conditions, such as sun, cold and rain.
The large influx of illegal crossings, which hit a record high in late 2023, has caused processing centers along the border to be overwhelmed and the process to take longer. In at least one of them, located in southern San Diego County (California), migrants have had to wait for entire days in makeshift camps to be processed.