Overview

• The initiative, detailed in an internal ICE memo, categorizes unaccompanied minors into three priority groups: flight risk, public safety, and border security.
• Children with existing deportation orders or those who missed court hearings are being prioritized for enforcement actions.
• The Trump administration reversed a recent decision to halt legal services for unaccompanied minors, allowing representation services to resume for thousands of children.
• Officials claim the initiative also aims to prevent human trafficking and exploitation of unaccompanied minors, with DNA testing planned to verify familial relationships.
• Since 2019, over 600,000 unaccompanied children have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border, with tens of thousands having pending deportation orders.