Immigration enforcement officers have been directed to track down and deport migrant children who arrived in the United States without their parents.
There is increased pressure to meet President Trump’s ambitious deportation goals following his promise during the election to address the immigration issues in America.
An internal memo obtained by Reuters reveals that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will now prioritize their attention on unaccompanied minors.
The memo cited a ‘planning phase’ to begin on January 27, followed by three more phases of implementation, to begin at an unspecified date.
Upon his return to the White House, Trump issued an executive order that rescinded some safeguards for migrants, allowing ICE officers to apprehend them in previously restricted areas such as schools.
More than 600,000 immigrant children have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without a parent or legal guardian since 2019, according to government data.
The memo is headlined the ‘Unaccompanied Alien Children Joint Initiative Field Implementation.’
Authorities, as part of the instructions, are to ensure children are not victims of human trafficking or being exploited before deporting them.
There are heightened pressures to reach President Trump’s lofty deportation targets as part of his election commitment to solve America’s immigration crisis
Immigration enforcement officers have been directed to track down and deport migrant children who arrived in the United States without their parents
According to an internal memo seen by Reuters , agents at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will now direct their focus to unaccompanied minors
Children would be served a notice to appear in immigration court to decide their fates. Those with deportation orders already pending against them would be deported instantly.
Agents have been instructed to prioritize children determined to be ‘flight risks’, along with threats to ‘public safety’ and finally, ‘border security.’
Children who are deemed ‘flight risks’ are those who have otherwise failed to attend court hearings, or those who have been released to sponsors who aren’t direct relatives.
Unaccompanied children have historically been placed in homes with sponsor families after being taken in by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
During his first administration, Trump used data gathered to vet these sponsors to help him complete more targeted arrests, as oftentimes sponsors themselves could be, or could know, other undocumented immigrants.
Once a child has left the custody of ORR, the office is not required to track their whereabouts.
Now, the Trump administration has expanded its access to ORR’s database of children and their sponsors, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
This could once again facilitate ICE officers in targeting sponsor households to boost their adult arrest numbers too, while simultaneously nabbing undocumented children.
Agents have been instructed to prioritize children determined to be ‘flight risks’, along with threats to ‘public safety’ and finally, ‘border security’
The Trump administration has expanded its access to ORR’s database of children and their sponsors
Unaccompanied children have historically been placed in homes with sponsor families after being taken in by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)
Since taking office on January 20, Trump has taken steps to tighten vetting of sponsors.
These include requiring sponsors and adult household members to submit fingerprints for background checks, according to guidance issued last week.
According to a source citing Mellissa Harper, a former ICE official and current head of ORR, the agency is considering rolling out DNA testing to establish familial links between unaccompanied children and their sponsors.
Each ICE field office has been encouraged to determine ‘how to best locate, make contact, and serve immigration documents as appropriate for individual targets, when conducting enforcement actions,’ the new memo stated.
According to Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, upwards of 300,000 undocumented children ‘went missing’ during the Biden administration.
He said these children were at risk of trafficking and exploitation. The majority are from Central America and Mexico.
Each ICE field office has been encouraged to determine ‘how to best locate, make contact, and serve immigration documents as appropriate for individual targets, when conducting enforcement actions’
Trump signed an executive order upon returning to the White House rolling back certain protections for migrants which forbade ICE officers from arresting them at certain locations – including schools
Border crossings have reportedly plummeted by a staggering 90 percent since Trump’s inauguration, now recording fewer than 300 illegal crossings per day, according to Border Patrol chief Mike Banks.
But Trump is reportedly disappointed with the number of arrests and is putting pressure on officials to ramp it up.
This comes as Trump removed his top immigration official after failing to arrest enough illegal immigrants.
Caleb Vitello, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was reassigned on Friday.
