HUMSI — Human Security Initiative

Human Impact Project

A living database documenting reported immigration enforcement incidents and their human impact.

Trump administration halts reuniting detained migrant children with families

Jan 1, 2026

Trump administration halts reuniting detained migrant children with families

The Trump administration has virtually stopped releasing undocumented children in federal custody to their parents and relatives, according to government sources and immigration attorneys. Starting in early November, the Office of Refugee Resettlement began issuing verbal orders to staff to halt child releases to sponsors, even those who had passed vetting requirements. The government released approximately four children per day in October but only four total children over the following six weeks.

Sources

Related incidents