A federal judge appointed an independent monitor and special master to oversee ICE and CBP compliance with the Flores settlement, citing noncompliance and children held past 20 days at Dilley

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In August 2026, Chief U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee, who oversees the 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement on detention standards for immigrant children (C.D. Cal.), appointed a special master (Andrea Sheridan Ordin) and an independent monitor (Dr. Paul Wise) to oversee ICE and CBP compliance for at least one year, at government expense capped at $620,000 per year. She cited a history of noncompliance and current problems, and said the order is not a contempt finding. Government data showed average stays at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley of about 23 to nearly 48 days in the first five months of 2026, beyond the settlement's 20-day benchmark; plaintiffs estimated about 1,560 minors were held over 20 days in a six-month period, and some children were held more than 80 days. Plaintiffs' counsel filed more than 100 sworn declarations from detained parents and children describing inadequate medical care, sleep disruption and poor food; ICE's own report says Dilley largely complies. The monitor will file quarterly reports with the court.

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