The Trump administration is implementing measures to expedite the deportation of migrant children in federal custodyand according to administration officials and defense lawyers, the White House is pushing to carry out these expulsions by speeding up judicial processes that previously could take months or years.
According to information from CNN, immigration hearings, where a choice is made about whether a child can remain in the country or be deported, are being rescheduled weeks or even months in advance, making it difficult for attorneys to obtain legal protections in an already complex system.
The media added that children as young as four years old are being forced to repeatedly appear in court to update the status of their cases, sometimes without correct form assistance.
Meanwhile, Emily Norman, regional director of Youngsters in Need of Protection, reported that some minors are under such pressure that they urinate their pants during hearings. According to Norman, an appointment originally scheduled for 2027 was suddenly moved to occur in less than a week.
They warn about the emotional impact on children
Scott Bassett, senior attorney for the Children’s Program at the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, described that in this situation, minors ““They are some combination of confused, scared and frustrated.”
“It’s aimed at getting these children out of the country. They feel like the walls are closing because they are,” Bassett said about this position of the US government.
What does the government say about it?
For its part, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) defended these actions as a way to improve efficiency and safety. HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon, afHe stated that the department “focuses on resolving cases involving unaccompanied children as quickly and efficiently as possible, in accordance with the law.”
“Moving cases forward helps disrupt these networks and ensures that children are returned to safe environments as quickly as possible. Reducing time in custody also lowers costs for taxpayers and ensures the system works as intended,” Nixon said.
For its part, a White House official, quoted by CNN, indicated that the administration “is working to disrupt cartel plots and humanely return trafficked children to their homes and families as quickly as possible.”
Although the government is increasing the timing of judicial processes for migrant children to expedite their cases, official figures indicate that minors now remain detained longer than in previous years, reaching an average of seven months under the supervision of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a fact confirmed and denounced by Steven Wright, a member of the Immigrant Justice Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The speed of the courts clashes with the need for time to prepare strong defenses, such as Special Immigrant Youth (SIJ) Status. According to experts, The emotional state of children requires slow management that the new deadlines do not allow.
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