The administration is using information meant to reunite children with family to target their parents and sponsors for immigration enforcement. That puts families at risk and keeps children in custody longer. A child protection system should protect children—not target their families.

As Thousands of Migrant Children Lose Legal Representation, Trump's 'Lost Children' Myth Lives On

The Trump administration's approach to unaccompanied children is creating new barriers for those already navigating the immigration system.

msmagazine.com

Unaccompanied children now spend an average of 117 days in government custody—up from 30 days in 2024—while their immigration cases continue. As KIND’s Tess Reagan explains, a five-year-old cannot be expected to understand court proceedings or make their case without legal help.

As children’s immigration cases continue and legal help remains under threat, every conversation matters. Interpreters and translators help children communicate with legal teams, understand the process, and be heard. Speak another language? Join our volunteer network: https://bit.ly/3TwC23W

Children as young as three are appearing in immigration court without lawyers. A child cannot be expected to understand immigration law, meet rushed deadlines or defend themselves against deportation. KIND’s Emily Norman described a growing “targeting of children.”

Inside the New York court where children face deportation without access to attorneys

About 20,000 unaccompanied minors will lose legal representation if the federal government ends a longstanding contract on Friday, kicking current problems into overdrive across US

theguardian.com

More than 24,000 unaccompanied children could lose access to federally funded legal representation. Without an attorney, children are forced to face immigration court alone while navigating asylum, trafficking, family separation, and prolonged detention.

More than 24,000 immigrant children could lose legal representation as a federal contract expires

The termination of a federal contract that pays nonprofit organizations for providing legal assistance to immigrant children will affect 90 organizations nationwide.

latimes.com

🚨ORR has shared more than 460,000 leads with ICE since January 2025, contributing to more than 12,000 arrests. When families fear coming forward to reunite with their children, children remain in government custody longer. https://reut.rs/4fWmrTU

EXCLUSIVE: Thousands of children, sponsors arrested by ICE after tips from US child migrant agency

More than 12,000 people have been arrested ‌by U.S. immigration authorities following tips from the Office of Refugee Resettlement during President Donald Trump’s second term.

reut.rs

“With every passing day, it becomes more difficult to discern where ORR ends and ICE begins.” KIND’s Jason Boyd warns that increased ICE involvement in sponsor vetting can deter families from coming forward out of fear and keep unaccompanied children in custody longer.

ICE Is Using Data Broker Tools to ‘Identify Unaccompanied Minors’ and ‘Fraud’

A newly renewed, $25 million-per-year contract with a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters further expands the power of ICE under the Trump administration.

wired.com

Unaccompanied children are being given less time to prepare for immigration court while the legal services they need are being put at risk. Rushing children’s cases while destabilizing their legal support is not due process.

“The system is not a child-friendly system,” Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) managing attorney Hillary Larsen told KUOW. “It’s virtually impossible to go through the system having the child represent themself.”

Gabe Ortíz@tusk81.bsky.social · 3w ago

Hundreds of thousands of immigrant children are facing immigration court by themselves. This isn’t new: vulnerable kids have been rushed through deportation court without legal help across administrations. It’s only getting worse: americasvoicecnn.substack.com/p/hundreds-o...

Six children spent 118 to 505 days in federal custody, many with family ready to care for them. Several were released only after attorneys went to court. When family is ready to receive a child, every additional day in custody deepens the harm.

Six immigrant children spent as long as 505 days in federal custody as their families waited

During the months CT Insider spent reporting this story, more than two dozen immigrant children sat in federal custody in Connecticut.

ctinsider.com

KIND is without federal funding and still owed nearly $25 million for legal services already provided. Your donation helps keep lawyers beside children while their safety and futures remain at stake. Help us protect children’s rights. https://bit.ly/4ppvjVi

One Seattle judge heard 106 children’s immigration cases in a single day. More than 30 children who did not appear were ordered deported. Children need legal representation and adequate time, not accelerated hearings in a system that was never designed for them.

Hundreds of children ordered to appear at new 'mega' immigration hearings in Seattle

The federal government this week embarked on what it says is a new way to process a backlog of children with ongoing immigration cases. Those cases, which used to take months or years to process, are ...

kuow.org

Young people who came to the U.S. alone as children are now being detained and deported at 3x the previous rate. They deserve counsel, due process and a fair chance to seek protection—not detention and accelerated deportation. Via @propublica.org.

These Immigrant Kids Were Once Protected. Under Trump, Their Deportations Have Tripled.

A first-of-its-kind ProPublica analysis found that children who entered the U.S. by themselves are being detained and removed at about three times the rate they were during the final years of the firs...

propublica.org

[1] Americans support education for all students, no matter where they were born. An April 2026 survey found that over 75% of respondents showed strong support for universal education. #AllChildrenBelong @neatoday.bsky.social @supportkind.org

Mass transfers are not child protection. Unaccompanied children need legal support and stability, not to be moved into already strained systems and pressured to abandon their cases.

Trump admin asks Texas for legal help representing immigrant kids

Immigration rights experts worry that the recent inquiry is the latest sign Trump is interested in transferring unaccompanied minors to the state, where it is easier to quickly deport them.

texastribune.org

The Texas Supreme Court’s ruling blocking Harris County’s Immigrant Legal Services Fund threatens services for approximately 80 KIND clients, and undermines a community-backed effort to keep children from facing deportation proceedings alone. Our full statement.

KIND Condemns Texas Supreme Court Ruling Decision Blocking Essential Immigration Legal Funds - KIND

Read KIND's full statement on the Texas Supreme Court ruling that blocks essential immigration legal funds for children.

supportkind.org

For more than 40 years, Plyler v. Doe has helped protect children’s right to attend public school, regardless of immigration status. Over the next few weeks, we’ll share why this protection still matters — and what’s at stake when any child is pushed out of the classroom. #RighttoLearn

More than 425,000 children are in immigration court without an attorney. That means children are trying to understand hearings, deadlines, and the threat of deportation without someone by their side. No child should have to go through that alone. https://bit.ly/4oRTriW

Over 425,000 Kids in U.S. Face Deportation Hearings Without Lawyers

A new analysis of federal immigration data found that 57% of children with deportation orders in the U.S. do not have access to an attorney.

bit.ly

A 5-year-old should not have to argue their own asylum case. But immigrant children are being pushed through a complex legal system without guaranteed counsel. New Jersey’s investment in legal representation helps children have a meaningful chance to seek protection. https://bit.ly/4oTZXFS

Picture a 5-year-old defending herself in N.J. immigration court. It happens every day. | Opinion

Unaccompanied children fleeing violence have no guaranteed legal representation in immigration court, forcing New Jersey nonprofits to fill gaps that federal policy leaves wide open.

nj.com

Unaccompanied children's legal services are under attack, and the funding that makes this work possible is at risk. Add your name to join KIND and members of Congress advocating for continued funding for children’s legal services. act.supportkind.org/page/99071/p...

"The Supreme Court's decision opens the door to restrictive border measures that endanger those seeking protection — especially children. We've seen this before. Families stranded in danger, exposed to violence & trafficking." – KIND President Wendy Young

Unaccompanied children should not face immigration court alone. Without attorneys, children are at greater risk of exploitation, trafficking, and being returned to the very danger they fled. Learn why legal representation is a critical safeguard. https://bit.ly/4g5sMgn

A new EU-backed project in Albania is shifting from a law enforcement-led response to a child protection framework, strengthening social services and safeguards for children at risk. This is the kind of approach children need, one centered on safety, dignity, and care. https://bit.ly/4uQj0CF

Albania: EU looks to improve protection of unaccompanied migrant children mechanisms

A new EU project is shifting its response to unaccompanied migrant children from a law enforcement-led model to one focused on child protection, with new support measures including strengthened social...

infomigrants.net

On June 23, KIND’s Jyothi Kanics will join @unhcr.org, @unicef.org, and partners for an HRC62 side event on child trafficking in the context of statelessness, forced displacement, and migration. 📍Palais des Nations, Room Concordia 5 + hybrid 🕐 1–2 PM CEST Join here: https://bit.ly/3QWcFrd

For Irina*, safety meant reaching the United States — and finally being reunited with her father after a year apart. This #FathersDay, her story reminds us why family reunification matters. Watch her story: https://youtu.be/TDlyq7y5pgA?si=xbEUvEthHC5ATb-o *Name changed.

A Family Reunited: Irina's Story

YouTube video by Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)

youtu.be

At 16, Ayrad* reached Poland alone after fleeing conflict. Misleading information put him at risk of being returned to danger. With legal support and a trusted adult beside him, he found stability and a path forward. This #WorldRefugeeDay, read his story: https://bit.ly/4ovgYGh

Data shows immigration officers are more than 2X as likely to misclassify the age of youth compared to social workers. Children wrongly assessed as adults have been charged with immigration offences and are being held in adult prisons, with some having already survived torture. shorturl.at/EpxXL

Immigration officers more likely than social workers to assess UK asylum seekers as adults

Local authorities deem young arrivals to be children more than twice as often as border forces, Home Office data shows

theguardian.com

KIND is proud to endorse the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act, critical legislation that would ensure no unaccompanied child faces immigration court alone. Thank you, @lofgren.house.gov, for introducing this bill and standing up for children’s right to counsel. https://bit.ly/4vi86qk

New Bill Would Ensure No Child Faces Immigration Court Alone - KIND

KIND commends Representative Zoe Lofgren’s introduction today of the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act – legislation that would guarantee legal counsel for all unaccompanied children in immigration proce...

bit.ly

Education is not a privilege reserved for some children. 44 years ago, Plyler v. Doe affirmed that all children have the right to attend public school, regardless of immigration status. As those protections face renewed challenges, we must defend every child’s right to learn.

Legal services are a child protection tool. Attorneys help unaccompanied children understand their rights, appear in court, & access protections available under the law As KIND’s Wendy Young told The Washington Post: “We are really part of the solution.” https://wapo.st/3Qczyq9

Trump officials broaden investigation into unaccompanied migrant children

The effort includes criminal prosecutions, tracking down children, surprise visits to nonprofit groups and an attempt to seek help from the U.S. military.

washingtonpost.com