The knock at the door often comes before sunrise. For thousands of families across the US, immigration raids have turned ordinary mornings into moments of panic. Children wake up to flashing lights, hurried voices, and parents taken away in handcuffs. Some are left standing outside in tears. Others return from school to discover their mother or father is no longer home.
A new report from the Brookings Institution estimates that more than 145,000 US citizen children have experienced the detention of at least one parent since President Donald Trump returned to office in January and launched an expanded immigration enforcement campaign. The figures have reignited a fierce national debate over immigration, border security, and the human cost of mass deportation policies.
