More Than 100,000 Children Separated From Parents by Immigration Raids, According to NYT and Brookings

ICE separates migrant families

Thousands of children affected

Brookings questions official figures

The immigration policies promoted by the administration of Donald Trump may be causing a historic level of family separations in the United States.

A new analysis conducted by Brookings Institution estimates that more than 100,000 minors have been separated from their parents since mass immigration raids and detentions began — a reality that experts and affected families say could be far broader than official federal government records indicate.

Why it matters: Most of the affected children are believed to be U.S. citizens born in the country, intensifying debate over the social, emotional, and human consequences of deportation and detention policies implemented by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

More than 145,000 U.S.-citizen children reportedly experienced a parent’s detention

ICE family separations due to immigration raids – PHOTO: Shutterstock

The Brookings report, shared with The New York Times, states that approximately three-quarters of the minors affected by immigration detentions are U.S. citizens.

According to the analysis, more than 145,000 U.S.-born children have experienced the detention of one of their parents since January 2025.

The study argues that official data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may significantly underestimate the real numbers.

Researchers say many detained immigrants are either not asked whether they have children in the United States or choose to remain silent out of fear that disclosing information could worsen their immigration situation.

The study also concludes that around 22,000 U.S.-citizen children were left without either parent at home because of immigration detentions.

Ledy Ordoñez’s story highlights the trauma affecting thousands of migrant families

One of the report’s most emotional accounts is that of Ledy Ordoñez, a single mother detained during an immigration raid at a seafood distribution company in San Antonio.

Ordoñez remains in custody while her 2-year-old son, Alonzo — who was born in the United States — is being cared for by a close friend.

“Now he can walk and talk,” Ordoñez said from a detention center in Texas. “I’ve missed so much.”

Her words reflect the emotional impact faced by many detained parents who remain separated from their children for months without knowing when they will be reunited.

Migrant family separations reportedly surpass the 2018 immigration crisis

The report claims that the scale of current ICE family separations exceeds even the controversial “zero tolerance” policy implemented during Trump’s first term in 2018.

At that time, approximately 5,500 children were separated from their parents after crossing the southern border. Now, figures tied to arrests carried out inside the country could be far higher.

Currently, around 60,000 people remain detained in immigration facilities, and roughly 400,000 individuals have entered ICE custody following arrests conducted within the United States since the beginning of the administration.

In addition, detention capacity could expand even further after Congress allocated $45 billion to increase detention centers under legislation known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Experts warn there is no system protecting affected children

The analysis argues that very little official information exists regarding what happens to the children of detained or deported individuals.

Many minors end up living with relatives, friends, or acquaintances, while others may leave the United States alongside deported parents.

However, the federal government does not publish clear statistics about how many U.S.-citizen children leave the country after a family deportation.

“The central issue is that there is no systematic approach to protecting the children of people detained by ICE,” the report states.

Brookings also warned that many families avoid seeking help through child welfare systems because they fear further exposure to immigration authorities.

Millions of children could remain at risk under deportation policies

ICE family separations due to immigration raids – PHOTO: Shutterstock

The Brookings Institution estimates that approximately 4.6 million U.S.-citizen children currently live with at least one parent at risk of deportation.

In addition, about 2.5 million children could face an extreme scenario in which all parents in the household are detained.

“At a minimum, DHS should collect and publish accurate data on the number of parents facing detention or deportation,” the report concludes.

Researchers insist that immigration policies affect not only detained immigrants, but also thousands of American children caught in the middle of the deportation and family separation system.

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SOURCE: The New York Times