Cowlitz County Superior Court Judges end contract with ICE to house youth
By Katie Fairbanks, The Daily News
Published: February 9, 2021, 7:42am
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A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer looks on during an operation July 8 in Escondido, Calif. Associated Press files
LONGVIEW — Cowlitz County Superior Court’s judges are ending the last contract in the U.S. to house unaccompanied immigrant youth in a facility for more than 72 hours.
The judges’ decision announced Feb. 5 ends the county’s controversial contract with Immigration Customs and Enforcement to hold juveniles at the local youth facility, citing a significant increase in the length of stay and a new state law requiring such agreements to end this year.