Thousands of U.S. citizen children are facing uncertain futures following the arrest and deportation of their parents by ICE, according to a report published August 17. The impact of these enforcement actions leaves many children in precarious situations, according to Zain Lakhani, director of migrant rights and justice at the Women's Refugee Commission.
An investigation by NBC 5 analyzed government data from the University of Washington, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The data showed that at least 8,889 parents with U.S. citizen children were detained by ICE during the first seven months of the Trump Administration. While it is difficult to determine the exact number of children involved, the records suggest between 12,000 and 15,000 children were impacted during that seven-month period.
Lakhani stated that this volume means approximately 50 U.S. citizen children each day experience the arrest, detention, or potential deportation of a parent. Lakhani noted that children are at increased risk due to changes in the ICE detained parents directive. While the previous directive required ICE to assist parents in making plans for their children before deportation, the new directive only requires ICE to facilitate such plans when it is operationally feasible.
In Fort Worth, the consequences of these policies are visible through teenagers like 19-year-old Dulce Zepeda, who has been raising her 13-year-old sister, Maria, for nearly a year since their parents were arrested and deported.
