Amid a sweeping crackdown on immigration, new policies under former President Donald Trump’s administration are triggering fear and instability among some of the most vulnerable: unaccompanied migrant children. Advocates warn that many are being held in prolonged detention, used to target their caretakers for deportation, and denied legal protections once considered fundamental.
In recent months, immigration enforcement actions have grown increasingly aggressive. In one case, a 10-year-old girl watched as officers arrested her mother during a routine check-in. A 14-year-old boy in New York was dragged from bed by plainclothes officers conducting what they claimed was a “welfare check.” And a 17-year-old mother and her newborn were held for months because her sister, who tried to sponsor them, failed to meet newly imposed documentation rules.
The Trump administration has made clear it views unaccompanied minors—children who arrive at the U.S. border without a parent or legal guardian—as deportation targets. A raft of new policies have accelerated removals, restricted legal representation, and imposed tighter rules on who can sponsor these children, resulting in prolonged detentions and growing emotional distress.
“This is the most aggressive, coordinated attack on immigrant children I’ve seen in my legal career,” said Marion Donovan-Kaloust, director of legal services at Immigrant Defenders Law Center. “These are not isolated incidents. This is a full-scale assault from all directions.”
Unaccompanied minors often flee poverty, violence, environmental disasters, or political instability. Others are separated from family en route. While the Biden administration previously faced criticism for overcrowded detention centers, Donovan-Kaloust says the Trump administration’s current approach marks a deeper erosion of basic rights.
“Our teams are working daily with detained children, and the emotional toll is worsening,” she said. “They’re losing sleep, refusing food, crying constantly. Many can’t even speak with their lawyers.”
A Mother Arrested in Front of Her Child
In Santa Paula, California, the impact of these policies became painfully real for a woman named Maria and her family. Maria, an undocumented immigrant, was the primary caregiver for her 10-year-old daughter, who entered the U.S. as an unaccompanied minor. After complying with all requirements to sponsor her daughter—including background checks and home inspections—Maria was arrested during a routine appointment with immigration officials on April 2.
“She was handcuffed in front of her daughter,” said Primitiva Hernandez, director of 805 UndocuFund, a nonprofit assisting the family.
Maria was transferred to the Otay Mesa Detention Center, nearly five hours away. Volunteers rushed to help her mother, Lilia, retrieve the children. Lilia, herself seeking asylum, soon received a deportation order. Fearing arrest, she returned to Mexico.
“My little girl cried all the time because they took her mom,” Lilia said in a video shared with The Guardian. “I wanted to stay and care for my grandchildren, but I couldn’t.”
The children were placed with other relatives—many of whom are also undocumented and now fear they may be next.
Advocates say such cases expose a troubling pattern: children are being used as bait, with immigration officers targeting the adults who care for them.
Raids, Surveillance, and Schools
A leaked ICE memo advised agents to locate children previously released to sponsors by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), screen them for deportability, and target sponsors—especially those unrelated by blood. Officers were told to identify unaccompanied minors linked to gangs or national security threats, and even children who may have missed immigration court dates.
Homeland Security has also deployed FBI and criminal investigators to conduct “welfare checks,” which, in practice, have meant armed agents entering homes at dawn.
In one New York case, officers knocked on a mother’s door at 6:30 a.m., demanding to see her 14-year-old son. Though his asylum claim had already been approved, officers questioned him and falsely claimed he had a pending hearing.
“This wasn’t ICE—at least, not what I expected,” the mother said. “One officer showed me my son’s photo on a phone.”
The Department of Homeland Security defends the checks as safety measures. Trump has falsely claimed that over 300,000 migrant children “disappeared” under prior administrations, alleging they became “slaves, sex workers, or died.”
Agents have also appeared at school campuses. In April, federal officials tried to access two Los Angeles elementary schools to question five students, but school leaders denied them entry.
“Should Homeland Security be investigating second or third graders?” asked former LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.
“ICE is using ORR addresses to go door-to-door, spreading fear,” said Ann Garcia, an attorney with the National Immigration Project.
DNA Tests and Sponsorship Barriers
Under new policies enacted in January, sponsors for unaccompanied minors must now undergo DNA testing and provide extensive documentation—a burden few undocumented families can meet.
Advocates have sued, arguing that the changes prolong detentions and tear families apart.
In one lawsuit, 17-year-old Angelica was detained after arriving pregnant at the southern border. Though her sister Deisy offered to sponsor her and her newborn, she lacked a passport with immigration documents. Other relatives feared coming forward, worried their information would be shared with ICE.
Another teen, Eduardo, 14, was detained with his 7-year-old brother for months, despite their mother Rosa submitting repeated documentation to secure their release.
“These kids don’t understand why they can’t be with family,” Donovan-Kaloust said. “And we can’t explain it—because there’s no sensible reason.”
Legal Help Slashed as Deportations Accelerate
The administration is also attempting to defund legal aid programs for unaccompanied children. Although a federal judge temporarily restored funding after nonprofits sued, the government is appealing.
Currently, only about half of unaccompanied children have lawyers in immigration court. Without representation, young children—some as young as toddlers—must face judges alone.
On May 23, a child stood alone in a Los Angeles immigration courtroom while her father, arrested in a pre-dawn ICE raid, was being held in detention.
“The government is deciding whether terrified five-year-olds should be sent back,” Donovan-Kaloust said. “And many don’t even have someone to speak for them.”
Efforts to expedite deportation hearings mean some children face judges within days of being detained—before they’ve recovered from their journeys or seen a lawyer.
“There’s an onslaught of new policies,” Donovan-Kaloust said. “And they’re draining the very resources we need to help.”
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