‘Chaos and cruelty’: the kids trapped in Trump’s immigration enforcement campaign
Children are being detained in record numbers, sometimes alone and where lawyers and family cannot find them
TL;DR
- ICE has arrested more than 8,500 children during Donald Trump's second term, with a sharp increase in arrests this year.
- Many children are detained in undisclosed locations like hotels and office building rooms, making it difficult for lawyers and family to find them.
- Lawyers and advocates describe the conditions as cruel, citing lack of proper food, healthcare, and privacy, and express concerns that the government aims to increase removal statistics.
- The Department of Homeland Security disputes the accuracy of the data on child arrests but has not provided alternative figures.
- Arrests have disproportionately increased in certain states, leading to a 'chilling effect' in immigrant communities.
- Some children are held alone in hotels, separated from their parents who are sent to adult detention centers.
- A federal judge has ordered ICE to stop keeping children in hotels, with limited exceptions, and has appointed an independent monitor.