They never said: ‘You have a daughter, you can bring her,’ because I would have brought [my daughter], she is very attached to me.”Some parents told the researchers they had been ignored when they told arresting officers that they had children. She was “dismissed” when she told the officers about her other children, and the family was separated. Parents told researchers about being forced to abruptly leave their children in precarious situations—or even entirely alone. But agents are still required to allow parents to bring their children if they are deported, and to decide what happens to their children when they are detained or removed from the country. WRC and PHR called on Congress to codify parental interest protections, including a right to reunification with their children before and after deportation.

Source: The Guardian March 20, 2026 05:09 UTC