Impact of the Trump Administration’s Immigration Enforcement on U.S. Children

Following President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, the Department of Homeland Security intensified deportation operations, resulting in the detention of thousands of undocumented parents. A Brookings Institution analysis estimates that 146,635 U.S. citizen children have had a parent detained, with more than 22,000 experiencing the loss of all co-resident parents.

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Trump’s second term marked a departure from the prior administration’s pace, with monthly arrests of approximately 2,300 parents and deportations of 1,400, nearly double the 2024 rate. The administration also expanded third-country removal options, using distant nations as deterrents.

The Guardian

Brookings researchers found 36 % of affected children are under six; 54 % have a parent from Mexico and over 25 % from Guatemala or Honduras. Washington, D.C., and Texas have the highest rates, above five per 1,000. DHS reported 18,277 detainees with citizen children in FY 2025, which analysts consider an undercount. Approximately 4.6 million citizen children have at least one vulnerable parent, and 2.5 million could lose both.

The Guardian

In Texas, single mother Ledy Ordonez was detained in July 2025, leaving her two-year-old son Alonzo in a friend’s care. She said her child continued to develop, yet she missed many milestones. Charles Mauldin, 78, recalled tear-gas exposure during the 1965 Selma march and noted ICE deployments in 2026 that harmed at least 79 children, including a six-month-old infant who briefly stopped breathing and a 12-year-old who developed hives and chronic respiratory issues.

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A DHS spokesperson said detention is a voluntary choice and ICE does not separate families, noting parents may elect removal with children or designate a caretaker. The agency asserted its policies do not target children. Brookings researchers called for systematic public reporting of parental detention and child displacement data.

The Guardian

Human-rights groups such as the Women’s Refugee Commission and Physicians for Human Rights say many deportations occurred without checking parental status. Experts note the lack of a national standard for tear-gas use and DHS’s failure to track child injuries, raising accountability concerns.

The Guardian

Brookings analysts deem DHS’s FY 2025 figure an undercount, and no federal entity tracks tear-gas exposures affecting minors.

The Guardian

• “He can walk and talk now,” Ms. Ordonez said from a detention center in Texas. “I’ve missed so much.” — Ledy Ordonez, detained mother

New York Times

• “It’s a pretty harrowing experience, especially for kids.” — Charles Mauldin, civil-rights activist

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• “DHS does NOT target children,” — DHS spokesperson (written statement)

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• “Without support, this could be a lifelong burden.” — Dr. Sarita Chung, Boston Children’s Hospital

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Advocates urge Congress to mandate transparent reporting of parental detentions, establish federal standards for crowd-control agents, and fund mental-health services for affected children.

The Guardian