Legal Battle Intensifies Over Deportation Policy for Immigrant Children
Legal advocates have filed a motion against a federal policy that encourages unaccompanied immigrant children to self-deport before receiving legal assistance. The policy, which impacts children from Central America, threatens lengthy detention and future visa restrictions. The motion seeks to expand protections and prevent coercive practices.
- Country:
- United States
Legal advocates have initiated a motion to halt a contentious federal policy allowing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to persuade unaccompanied immigrant children to voluntarily deport themselves.
The policy, first implemented in September 2025, directly contradicts the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, requiring unaccompanied minors to be transferred to shelters where they can access legal aid and contact family before making any deportation decisions.
The motion argues that the self-deportation option, offered before shelter placement, is coercive and violates existing injunctions against deporting Guatemalan minors without due legal process. Allegations of children being threatened and coerced are central to the legal challenge.
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