Investigative reporters Mica Rosenberg and Jeff Ernsthausen revealed on July 6 that the rate at which Immigration and Customs Enforcement detains and removes immigrants who entered as unaccompanied children has soared to roughly three times the average during President Trump’s first term. Mining FOIA data and court dockets, ProPublica estimates that immigration judges now issue more than 10,000 removal or voluntary-departure orders for minors each month. The surge follows DHS roll-backs of Obama- and Biden-era protections such as deferred action for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) beneficiaries and guaranteed access to legal counsel. The investigation profiles Elder Chavez, an Alabama high-school senior facing deportation after a traffic stop despite pending SIJ status. For global mobility leaders, the story underlines a sharpening scrutiny of dependents and recent graduates on derivative visas; HR teams should ensure counsel for young talent transitioning from F-1 or SIJ pathways to employment-based categories. Universities and tech employers that rely on STEM OPT pipelines may face higher attrition if removal orders reach college-age students. Lawmakers from both parties demanded briefings on juvenile due-process safeguards, but DHS officials defended the campaign as a deterrent to record child arrivals in 2024-25. With the Supreme Court signalling deference to executive discretion, advocates expect further accelerations unless Congress intervenes.
Source: ProPublica
