Strict Enforcement
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has continued to promote a policy of strict enforcement of immigration arrests in the absence of progress on immigration reform legislation.
This report examines the consequences of parental arrest, detention and deportation on 190 children in 85 families in six locations across the country. The impacts on children were measured in the days and weeks after parental arrests, in the intermediate and long term while parents were detained, and in some cases, after parents were deported. The study recruited families to reflect a range of circumstances and experiences.
Why is this important? Children of illegal immigrants are often U.S. citizens and they face real and impactful consequences after a parent is detained or deported. Without support systems in place, the lives of these children are often impaired, leading to compounded mal-effects.
Today there are an estimated 5.5 million children with unauthorized immigrant parents, about three-quarters of whom are U.S.-born citizens.