More than 11,000 parents of U.S. citizen children were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the first seven months of President Donald Trump's second term, according to an analysis of federal data by ProPublica, highlighting a sharp increase in enforcement actions affecting mixed-status families.
The report found that the number of such detentions has roughly doubled compared to previous years, reflecting a broader shift toward more aggressive immigration enforcement. While U.S.-born children cannot be deported, the detention and removal of their parents often results in family separations.
The ProPublica analysis also found that a greater share of detained parents are now being deported rather than released. Among mothers in particular, about 60% of arrests led to deportation, compared to roughly 30% under the previous administration, according to the data reviewed.
These trends are contributing to a growing number of children left without their primary caregivers, even in cases where parents have no serious criminal history. The report notes that increased reliance on detention, combined with fewer releases, has made it more difficult for families to remain together during immigration proceedings.
Advocacy groups say the impact is being compounded by the speed of enforcement actions. A recent report by the Women's Refugee Commission found that some parents are detained, transferred between facilities and deported within days, limiting their ability to make arrangements for their children. In some cases, parents were removed from the country within four to five days of arrest, the report said.
The Women's Refugee Commission described the trend as a "new family separation crisis," driven not by a single policy but by the pace and structure of enforcement. The group said the system is moving "too fast to safeguard basic human rights and dignity," and documented cases in which parents were not given the opportunity to contact their children before deportation.
The findings from ProPublica come amid broader debates in Washington over immigration enforcement policies and proposed reforms. Democratic lawmakers have called for changes aimed at limiting detention practices and increasing protections for families, while the administration has defended its approach as necessary to enforce immigration laws.
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
