Immigrant families across the United States are facing unprecedented attacks from the Trump Administration, U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), and other federal, state, and local agencies aiding their mass deportation agenda. Parents are being ripped away from their families while at work, school drop-off, or community celebrations. College students are being detained for authoring op-eds or participating in nonviolent campus protests. Children of all ages are being removed from their classrooms and communities, which has lasting impacts on their development. Immigrants with and without documentation, as well as people racially profiled as such, are being denied their constitutionally protected rights. These actions, carried out under the guise of “security,” do nothing more than harm our communities and make us less safe.

These events hit close to home. Earlier this year, ICE detained a mother and her three children, the youngest a third grader, in Sackets Harbor, New York. While executing an arrest on a dairy farm, immigration officers entered another home on the property, without a judicial warrant, and detained the family inside. The mother and her children were sent to a detention facility in Texas, far away from their home and support system. The story made national news after the Sackets Harbor community and school district rallied together to demand the family’s release. Governor Kathy Hochul also released a statement calling for their return, stating, “It’s just plain cruel. I want this family returned to New York State and believe ICE needs to immediately answer for these actions.” After nearly two weeks of uncertainty and trauma, the family was finally returned to their home.

While this story had a positive outcome, many more families are being separated by ICE every day who are not as lucky, causing lasting harm to children.

The Impacts of Family Separation on Young Children

Millions of young children from immigrant and mixed-status families (meaning people in the same family have different immigration statuses) call communities across our state and country home. They go to child care and school, they play on sports teams and act in theater productions, and they have families who love them and want them to thrive. Over one-third (35%) of young children in New York under the age of 6 have at least one immigrant parent. As of 2018, over five million children across the United States, 85% of whom are U.S. citizens, had at least one parent who is undocumented. The Trump Administration’s cruel and politicized mass deportation campaign has devastating impacts, both directly and indirectly, on these children and the communities they call home.

Children whose parents are detained or deported face significant instability. They may return with their parents to a country that is unfamiliar or unsafe, be sent to live with relatives in a new town or state, or be forced to enter the foster care system. Following the removal of a parent or caregiver, families often face sudden economic hardship. Family members left behind may struggle with food insecurity, housing instability, and difficulty accessing health care or other crucial services.

The trauma of losing a family member, exacerbated by the onset or worsening of poverty, has devastating social-emotional impacts on children. A 2010 study found that within six months of an ICE raid, many impacted children showed at least four behavioral and emotional changes, including excessive crying, overwhelming fear, changes in eating and sleeping patterns, increased anxiety, withdrawal from social interaction, extreme clinginess, or aggressive behavior. In 2020, researchers in Atlanta, Georgia, found alarming increases in rates of suicidal ideation and substance use among teens who had a family member detained or deported. The evidence is clear:  people who care about the health and well-being of children must speak out against the Trump Administration’s family separation efforts.

Tips for Speaking to Young Children

This can be a difficult topic to discuss with young children. These anti-immigrant policies not only impact children in immigrant families but also their friends and classmates who are witnessing this violence and intimidation. Roots & Wings, a Los Angeles-based organization focused on uplifting Latino and immigrant stories, partnered with a family therapist to share these five strategies to support and talk to children during moments of fear, violence, or political unrest:

TELL THE TRUTH, GENTLY – Avoid “Don’t worry about it.” Instead, say, “There are people who don’t think families like ours belong here. That’s not okay. There are many people working to protect us, and we have a plan to keep you safe.”

REASSURE WITHOUT FALSE PROMISES – Avoid “Nothing bad will happen.” Instead, say, “I don’t know everything, but I’m here for you.”

MAKE A FAMILY SAFETY PLAN – Involve your child in creating a plan to help them feel empowered and ensure that they know what to do in case of separation or another emergency.

USE ART, PLAY, AND MOVEMENT – Children process fear through their bodies, so drawing, playing, or dancing may allow them to express what their words can’t.

VALIDATE THEIR FEELINGS – Avoid “Don’t be scared.” Instead, say, “I understand why that scared you. I feel that way sometimes, too.”

To learn more about how anti-immigrant policies are impacting child care and early education, please visit The Impact of Anti-immigrant Policies on Children, Families & The Child Care and Early Education Workforce – CLASP, NWLC

To learn more about your rights while protesting or interacting with immigration officers, please visit Know Your Rights – NYCLU

Shannon Mullin is Senior Policy Analyst with The Children’s Agenda