At least 32 children entered state foster care after parents detained or deported by ICE, officials in 7 states report
Feb 11, 2026

At least 32 children entered foster care over the past year after their parents were detained or deported by ICE, officials in seven states told NOTUS — including four toddlers in Vermont, ten children in Kansas, and nine in Maryland. Advocates note this may be an undercount since no federal dataset tracks family separations caused by immigration enforcement, and some states worry that collecting the data could expose families to further risk. More than 71,000 people are in ICE detention.
Sources
Related incidents
- 5-year-old boy detained with father en route to soccer game, held at Dilley facilityAug 20, 2026 · Austin, TX
- Father with U visa detained by ICE outside Santa Fe clinic while taking child to doctorAug 20, 2026 · Santa Fe, NM
- 14-year-old deported while pregnant, giving birth alone in GuatemalaAug 11, 2026 · Geneva, NY
- 9-year-old with special medical needs held at Montana Border Patrol station, lawyers sayAug 11, 2026 · Billings, MT
- Cuban boy deported to Guyana with father left alone after father's sudden deathAug 11, 2026 · Guyana
- Hundreds of unaccompanied Mexican children deported to southern Mexico, stranded without resourcesAug 11, 2026 · Tapachula, MX