Over 145,000 US citizen children experienced parent detention since Trump took office
May 21, 2026
Country of origin: Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras

A Brookings Institution report estimates that approximately 146,635 US citizen children have had a parent detained by immigration authorities during the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign since January 2025. The study found that more than 22,000 children experienced detention of all co-resident parents, with roughly 36% younger than six years old. Washington DC and Texas have the highest share of affected American children, while parents from Mexico account for nearly 54% of cases.
Sources
- Over 145,000 US children separated from parents since Trump’s ICE surge, study estimates
The Guardian·May 18, 2026·archived copy
- The Hill
- More Than 100,000 American Kids Have Had a Parent Detained in Immigration Sweeps, Report Estimates
ProPublica·May 18, 2026·archived copy
- The administration has detained 400,000 immigrants: What do we know about their children?
- Trump ICE crackdown has separated an estimated 145,000 US citizen children from detained parents, report finds
- Over 100,000 immigrant children in the U.S. have been separated from their parents. How are they doing now?
deseret.com·May 27, 2026·archived copy
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