A sweeping new directive from the Trump administration aims to track and deport hundreds of thousands of migrant children who entered the United States without their parents.
According to Reuters, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has outlined an unprecedented initiative in an internal memo to locate and remove unaccompanied minors who crossed the border illegally, expanding Trump's mass deportation efforts.
The initiative, which began its planning phase on January 27, targets over 600,000 immigrant children who have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without parents or legal guardians since 2019. Government data shows tens of thousands have already received deportation orders, with more than 31,000 cases specifically tied to missed court hearings.
Trump administration intensifies border control measures
The new directive categorizes unaccompanied minors into three priority groups: flight risk, public safety, and border security. ICE agents are instructed to focus primarily on children deemed flight risks, including those who missed court hearings or were released to sponsors who are not blood relatives.
The initiative represents a significant expansion of Trump's previous immigration policies. During his first term, Trump implemented a "zero tolerance" policy that separated migrant children from their parents at the border, sending children to shelters while parents faced detention or deportation.
This controversial policy faced widespread international condemnation and was halted in 2018. However, according to American Civil Liberties Union attorney Lee Gelernt, up to 1,000 children may still remain separated from their parents.
Enhanced vetting and surveillance protocols implemented
The Trump administration has introduced stricter vetting requirements for potential sponsors. New guidelines mandate fingerprint submissions and background checks for sponsors and adult household members.
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), now headed by former ICE official Mellissa Harper, plans to implement DNA testing to verify familial relationships. The agency is currently investigating 247,000 tips related to fraud, trafficking, and smuggling of unaccompanied minors.
Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, claims approximately 300,000 unaccompanied children went missing during Biden's presidency, potentially facing trafficking and exploitation risks. The ORR's limited tracking obligations after children leave custody have complicated efforts to monitor their whereabouts.
Government agencies coordinate unprecedented enforcement effort
Individual ICE field offices will determine specific strategies for locating and serving immigration documents to targeted children. The initiative may also help ICE increase overall arrest numbers, as many children live in households with undocumented adults.
The administration has expanded its access to ORR's database of children and their sponsors. This data-sharing arrangement, combined with various government records and databases, enables ICE to track potential targets more effectively.
The Department of Homeland Security and ICE have not responded to requests for comment regarding the memo and implementation plans. The initiative aims to address both immigration law enforcement and concerns about human trafficking or exploitation.
Future directions in immigration enforcement
The Trump administration's new directive targeting unaccompanied migrant children marks a significant shift in immigration enforcement priorities. The initiative seeks to track and deport hundreds of thousands of minors who entered the United States without parents since 2019, focusing particularly on those deemed flight risks or living with non-blood relative sponsors. As DNA testing and enhanced vetting procedures are implemented, the administration faces the complex task of balancing immigration law enforcement with child welfare concerns.
