More than 8,300 undocumented immigrant children, aged 11 or under, were issued deportation orders in the US in April, the highest monthly figure on record, The Independent reported on Sunday, citing court data. Many face immigration judges alone, without lawyers or guardians, according to the outlet.
US President Donald Trump has made immigration a central policy since returning to office, accusing his predecessor Joe Biden of enabling mass illegal migration.
Since Trump’s inauguration in January, immigration judges have reportedly ordered the removal of more than 53,000 minors, most of them in elementary school or younger. Deportations of teenagers have also risen but remain below the peak seen during Trump’s first term in 2020.
Some of the children are reportedly unaccompanied minors without a guardian in the US, with immigration authorities no longer tracking the exact number of such cases.
Lawyers told The Independent that children often do not understand the legal process. In one case, a six-year-old was reportedly separated from his father, detained for four months, and deported without legal aid after federal funding was cut.
Data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) shows children under 11 now face the highest removal rates of any age group. In May, 75% of cases for this group resulted in deportation – compared to 45% in January. For children under four, that number reportedly rose to 78%.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told The Independent that claims Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targets children are “false,” saying families are given the option to stay together or designate a caretaker.
Trump’s immigration policies have sparked nationwide protests. In Los Angeles, National Guard troops were deployed following unrest in June. Earlier this month, Trump signed a bill allocating $100 billion to ICE for detentions, deportations, and completing the border wall with Mexico.
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