Trump-era immigration crackdown leaves millions of children in crisis, experts warn
Intensified immigration enforcement under Trump has led to the detention of parents, plunging millions of children—most of them U.S. citizens—into food, housing and mental-health emergencies.
Under President Trump, immigration enforcement has intensified, resulting in the detention of parents of roughly 205,000 children through April and an estimated 145,000 U.S. citizen children whose parents are held. New policies have rescinded temporary protected status for over a million immigrants, stalled DACA renewals and expanded public-charge rules that could push a million citizen children out of safety-net health programs.
The fallout includes heightened anxiety, depression, school absenteeism and two suicides linked to bullying over immigration status. Health professionals report a surge in mental-health referrals, while community volunteers deliver groceries, therapy and emergency childcare. Advocates cite research showing long-term health costs of childhood trauma and call for more humane enforcement models such as the discontinued Family Case Management Program.
Why it matters
The policies threaten the wellbeing and future prospects of millions of U.S. children and increase long-term health costs.
In this story
