Mass deportations in the United States and the realities of unaccompanied migrant children
- Current situation in the United States
- The harsh decision of migrant families
- The uncertain fate of the children
The arrival of the new Trump administration in the White House has brought with it multiple reforms in US policy. One of the most socially disruptive is the tightening of immigration policy, which has led to a surge in deportations, leaving unaccompanied minors facing a heartbreaking reality marked by violence, institutional neglect and legal uncertainty.
Current situation in the United States
The beginning of Donald Trump's term was marked by decisions that generated controversy on multiple fronts, including trade crises and global tensions. However, one of the issues that has caused the most alarm, especially in the Americas, has been the extreme immigration measures implemented since his campaign and throughout his administration.
Currently, both US citizens and foreigners describe the president as obsessed with the issue of immigration, pointing out that he has even gone so far as to manipulate laws with the apparent aim of deporting any migrant who attempts to evade his policy. One of the most controversial recent proposals has been to eliminate habeas corpus, a legal principle that allows for immediate release if detention is considered illegal and cannot be justified before a judge. If approved, this would jeopardise the right to a fair trial for thousands of people.
Despite the legal uncertainty surrounding this proposal, mass deportations continue. Thousands of families have been separated and returned to their countries, treated like criminals and handcuffed when in reality they were only seeking a dignified life for themselves and their loved ones.
The harsh decision of migrant families
One of the most serious problems currently facing the United States, and one that is often minimised or ignored by Republicans, is the extreme vulnerability of unaccompanied migrant children. Children under the age of 18 cross the northern border alone, sent by their parents with relatives, acquaintances or, in many cases, with so-called ‘coyotes’ (who smuggle migrants illegally into the United States in exchange for money). Unfortunately, many of them do not make it to their destination.
What happens to these minors? What motivates their parents to send them alone? What kind of harm (physical, psychological and emotional) are they exposed to along the way?
According to UNICEF, many children leave their countries because of adverse conditions: armed conflict, domestic violence, poverty, discrimination or lack of access to basic services. During their journey, they face dangers such as abuse and violence, as well as permanent separation from their families. Many, especially those under the age of six, do not understand what is happening and assume that they have been abandoned by their parents.
In most cases, the parents crossed the border first, hoping to settle down and, once they had achieved a certain degree of stability, decided to send for their children. To do so, they place their blind trust in acquaintances or pay large sums of money to human traffickers, in the hope that the children will also manage to cross the border. There have even been cases where adults have posed as the children's parents to smuggle them into the country illegally by air, which is even more dangerous. In these situations, when the children arrive at the immigration service, the authorities easily detect the deception when they question the supposed guardians and immediately take the children into custody.
The uncertain fate of the children
In any case, when minors are detained by immigration authorities, they are transferred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), the institution responsible for providing food, shelter and medical care until their fate is decided: to be returned to their countries of origin or taken in by legal sponsors. However, legal barriers have been increasing, leaving deportation as the only alternative and perpetuating the cycle of vulnerability to which these minors are exposed.
US media have reported that a congressional committee is proposing to eliminate key protections for unaccompanied immigrant children, such as those provided for in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2008. This proposal would allow deportations without a hearing or due process, exposing them once again to abuse, violence and human trafficking. It would also impose prohibitive costs, such as $8,500 to release a minor and more than $15,000 to apply for asylum, making legal protection inaccessible.
The measure would also require the immigration status of family members to be shared with authorities, discouraging their participation in the process and leaving many children detained indefinitely.
As Jason Boyd, vice president of US Federal Policy, said, ‘This compromise text gives CBP (US Customs and Border Protection) new authority to summarily return many of these children to their countries of origin without a hearing and with virtually no due process. This would guarantee the return of many children to trafficking, abuse and other dangers even if the children are not summarily returned.’