U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is facing scrutiny over allegations that children are being detained beyond a court-mandated 20-day limit established under a longstanding legal settlement.

The Flores Settlement Agreement, dating back decades, established specific requirements for the detention and treatment of migrant children in federal custody. Under the terms of this court settlement, immigration authorities are prohibited from holding children for more than 20 days.

According to reporting, the Trump administration has been accused of routinely exceeding this time limit when detaining children. The violations of the court-ordered timeline have drawn criticism from advocates and legal observers who monitor immigration detention practices.

The extended detention periods have reportedly had psychological impacts on the children involved. The conditions and duration of detention have raised concerns about compliance with established legal protections for minors in immigration proceedings.

ICE detention policies for families and children remain a subject of ongoing legal and political debate, with various stakeholders calling for stricter adherence to existing court settlements and federal guidelines governing the treatment of minors in immigration custody.