A narrative took hold, fueled by social media and some news reports, alleging a crisis at the border: children stolen, kidnapped, or simply lost by the government. The implication was stark – that open borders and halting deportations were the only way to ensure the safety of these vulnerable children. But the reality, meticulously documented, paints a far more complex picture, one devoid of intentional harm.
The core of the issue wasn’t children disappearing into the void, but the challenging circumstances surrounding children arriving at the border without parents or legal guardians. In the vast majority of cases, adults accompanying these children were subject to arrest or deportation, triggering a process to find appropriate care for the child until a legal guardian could be identified. This process, however, often encountered significant hurdles.
Between April and September of 2018, authorities were unable to immediately determine the whereabouts of approximately 1,475 to 1,500 unaccompanied children. This wasn’t due to negligence, but a direct consequence of the complexities involved. Follow-up calls were made, but sponsors – often also undocumented – frequently didn’t respond, fearing contact with federal authorities.
The reasons for this silence were varied and understandable. Many sponsors were themselves undocumented, hesitant to reveal their status. Others simply had moved without updating their information, or possessed disconnected phone lines. Crucially, a lack of response didn’t equate to a child being lost; it reflected the precarious situation of those entrusted with their care.
Further complicating matters, ICE discovered that a significant percentage – around 80 percent – of potential sponsors and their families were residing in the country illegally. This meant children were arriving without parents, not being *separated* from them by government action, but entering a system designed to protect them while a suitable guardian was located.
Much of the public outcry stemmed from a misunderstanding, conflating these unaccompanied children with the administration’s zero-tolerance policy. The 1,475 children in question had crossed the border alone, and the process of confirming family relationships, especially with potentially fraudulent documentation, was inherently time-consuming.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was never legally obligated to track children indefinitely after their release to vetted sponsors. Experts emphasized that unanswered phone calls didn’t signify danger, merely a lack of communication. One official likened it to assuming a friend was kidnapped simply because they didn’t answer their phone.
Policies designed to facilitate information sharing between HHS and ICE were even challenged in court, as they inadvertently discouraged potential sponsors from coming forward. The fear of self-deportation loomed large, extending the time children spent in government custody. As a result, the average length of stay in ORR facilities steadily increased.
Another persistent claim involved the deportation of U.S. citizens, including children. This, too, proved false. In these instances, parents, having entered the country illegally, voluntarily chose to take their U.S.-citizen children with them – a right they were fully entitled to exercise. Leaving a child behind meant potential entry into the state foster care system, a scenario most parents desperately sought to avoid.
Officials consistently clarified this point, emphasizing that parents were always given the option to remain with their children or designate a guardian. In one widely publicized case, a mother specifically requested to return to Honduras with her child, highlighting the agency parents had in these difficult decisions.
When deportation became unavoidable, the immediate instability faced by children was a paramount concern. ICE Directive 11064.3 (2022) mandated support for deported parents attempting to arrange childcare, requiring coordination with state legal frameworks to establish guardianship. The goal was to minimize disruption and ensure the child’s well-being.
However, even with these efforts, challenges remained. If a designated relative was also undocumented, fear of deportation often prevented them from coming forward, creating further delays in finding a suitable legal guardian. This underscored the intricate web of factors contributing to the difficulties in tracking and placing these vulnerable children.
