Washington, July 18 (RHC)-- A federal judge in the U.S. has extended a deadline for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, to release immigrant children in its custody. 

Last month, U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee told ICE it had until today — July 17 — to release children from its “family detention centers” in Texas and Pennsylvania due to concerns over rising coronavirus infections.  ICE now has until July 27 to comply with the order. 

This comes as another federal judge is poised to rule next week on a Trump administration request to keep immigrant families jailed in “family detention centers,” prompting fears that immigrant children could once again be separated from their parents.