In a shocking turn of events, a federal judge has intervened to stop U.S. immigration authorities from administering psychotropic medications to migrant children without proper consent. A ruling by U.S. District Judge Julia Hart revealed that officials at a Texas facility had been giving these drugs to minors without informing either the children or their parents. It’s truly alarming that such practices were occurring, and it took legal action to put a stop to it.
Following Judge Hart’s decision, immigration officials are now required to obtain either parental consent or a court order before administering any psychotropic drugs to minors. Additionally, the judge mandated that most children be relocated from the Shiloh Residential Treatment Center in Texas, where these troubling incidents allegedly took place.
Government representatives defended their actions, claiming that the drugs were only given in emergency situations when children posed a risk to themselves or others. However, Judge Hart pointed out that this assertion was contradicted by testimonies from the children, who stated they received medication on a regular schedule—sometimes even twice a day. It simply could not be considered an emergency if the drugs were administered routinely, as Judge Hart noted.
The children testified that they were often not informed about the medications they were given or their intended purpose, and many reported experiencing severe side effects, including nausea, dizziness, and weight gain. Some indicated that refusal to take the medications resulted in extended detention or forced injections. One child recounted witnessing staff members physically restraining another child to administer medication, a stark reminder of the facility’s troubling environment.
One girl, who was prescribed multiple psychotropic medications for anxiety—without her mother’s approval—reported experiencing shaking and losing her balance. Shiloh has a disturbing history of allegations related to child abuse, including excessive physical restraint and even fatalities among the children in its care. Contracted by the federal government since 2013 to house unaccompanied minors, the facility has also been involved in housing children separated from their parents due to the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance policy.
Children at Shiloh have shared accounts of being denied private phone calls and facing physical restraint for simply attempting to access water. This is yet another heartbreaking chapter in the ongoing crisis affecting vulnerable children. The world is closely observing these injustices, and the repercussions of these actions will not be forgotten.
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In summary, a federal judge has compelled U.S. immigration officials to cease the unauthorized administration of psychotropic drugs to migrant minors, establishing new requirements for consent. This ruling is a significant step toward accountability in the treatment of vulnerable children within the system.