On 26 June 2020, a federal judge in the USA ordered immigration authorities to release all children from family immigration detention facilities, which the judge declared were “on fire” with COVID-19. Authorities must comply but release all families together to protect them from the pandemic while maintaining their family unity. The alternative – releasing the children but continuing to detain their parents- would constitute family separation, a practice that in some cases can constitute torture under US and international law. We demand authorities to release all families together. The judge-imposed deadline for authorities to act is 7 August 2020.
