Abused immigrant youth with green card eligibility detained and deported
Feb 25, 2025
From January to December 2025, ICE detained 265 minors with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) and deported 132 of them. SIJS, created in 1990, provides a pathway to citizenship for minors who are victims of abuse, abandonment, or neglect and previously shielded them from deportation during green card applications. The Trump administration ended deferred action protections for SIJS recipients in June 2025, though that policy is currently on hold in court. DHS stated the 132 deported faced immigration violations, though federal data did not disclose whether any faced criminal charges.
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