{"id":1572,"date":"2026-05-18T18:40:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T18:40:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/?p=1572"},"modified":"2026-05-18T18:40:26","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T18:40:26","slug":"over-145000-us-children-separated-from-parents-since-trumps-ice-surge-study-estimates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/?p=1572","title":{"rendered":"Over 145,000 US children separated from parents since Trump\u2019s ICE surge, study estimates"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"7c04d774-a57c-4f31-b524-a77c2afaee06\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"family members stand in a hallway\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/a5c4abbde3baedadb87e8467f4f0480c06b15bf8\/0_0_4870_3247\/master\/4870.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310.03182751540044\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">The family of a detained migrant speaks to immigration officers in an attempt to gain information at the US immigration court in Manhattan, New York City, on 16 January 2026.<\/span> Photograph: David Dee Delgado\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"7c04d774-a57c-4f31-b524-a77c2afaee06\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">The family of a detained migrant speaks to immigration officers in an attempt to gain information at the US immigration court in Manhattan, New York City, on 16 January 2026.<\/span> Photograph: David Dee Delgado\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Over 145,000 US children separated from parents since Trump\u2019s ICE surge, study estimates<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>About 36% of children whose parents were detained were younger than six, Brookings Institution study found<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">More than 145,000 US children have likely experienced a parent being detained by immigration authorities since the start of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/trump-administration\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Donald Trump\u2019s second presidency<\/a>, according to a new report published by a reputed US thinkthank.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/articles\/the-administration-has-detained-400000-immigrants-what-do-we-know-about-their-children\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">The report<\/a>, released Monday by the Brookings Institution, estimates that about 146,635 children who are US citizens have had a parent detained during the mass deportation campaign the Trump administration embarked on after he retook office in early January. The study further found that of those children, more than 22,000 experienced the detention of all of their co-resident parents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Roughly 36% were younger than six years old, underscoring a hardline immigration enforcement strategy that has drawn widespread criticism from civil rights and immigrant advocacy groups.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Brookings Institution\u2019s report also found that the largest share of US citizen children with a detained parent are linked to Mexico, accounting for nearly 54%, while children with parents from Guatemala and Honduras together make up more than 25%.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Washington DC and Texas have had the highest share of American children with an affected parent, with more than five per 1,000 facing parental immigration detention, according to the report.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Brookings researchers noted that the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported 18,277 detainees with US citizen children in fiscal year 2025 \u2013 but said the figure is \u201calmost certainly a substantial undercount\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Earlier in May, a Guardian <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/ng-interactive\/2026\/may\/08\/trump-administration-parents-arrested\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">investigation<\/a> had found that the arrest of about 18,400 parents had affected as many as 32,000 children in the first seven months of 2025 alone. That figure included at least 12,000 US citizen children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The investigation also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/ng-interactive\/2026\/may\/08\/trump-administration-parents-arrested\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">found<\/a> that the Trump administration had arrested about 2,300 parents and deported about 1,400 parents each month in 2025 \u2013 nearly double the monthly deportation rate recorded in 2024 during the end of Joe Biden\u2019s presidency.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Brookings researchers pointed to anecdotal evidence suggesting that many immigrants are either not asked whether they have children or choose not to disclose that information out of fear. Instead, they relied on demographic data from the Detention Data Project, matching detainees\u2019 characteristics \u2013 including country or region of origin and marital status \u2013 with similar undocumented individuals identified in the American Community Survey (ACS), a nationally representative household survey.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Roughly 13 million adults in the United States are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.migrationpolicy.org\/news\/unauthorized-immigrant-population-mid-2023\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">undocumented<\/a> or hold only limited legal protections. As a result, more than 4.6 million US citizen children live with at least one parent vulnerable to deportation \u2013 and about 2.5 million could face the detention of all parents in their household.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cFor both logistical and political reasons, the administration will not achieve its stated goal of removing every unauthorized immigrant from the United States,\u201d researchers said. \u201cAt a minimum, DHS should collect and publicly report accurate data on the number of parents facing detention or deportation, as well as the number of US citizen children who leave the country following a parent\u2019s removal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Researched as added: \u201cAs immigration enforcement expands, ensuring that affected children have access to basic supports and protections should be understood not as optional, but as a necessary governmental responsibility tied to the foreseeable consequences of family separation and displacement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In a statement to the Guardian, a DHS spokesperson argued that \u201cbeing in detention is a choice\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cICE does not separate families,\u201d the spokesperson said. \u201cParents are asked if they want to be removed with their children or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates. This is consistent with past administration\u2019s immigration enforcement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The spokesperson added, among other things, that \u201cparents can take control of their departure\u201d from the US with the CBP Home app \u201cand reserve the chance to come back the right legal way\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In March, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/mar\/19\/trump-deportation-children-trauma\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">report <\/a>by the Women\u2019s Refugee Commission (WRC) and Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) found that the Trump administration deported many immigrant parents without asking whether they had children or allowing them to decide if their children would accompany them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/usimmigration\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US immigration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/trump-administration\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Trump administration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/ice-us-immigration-and-customs-enforcement\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement)<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Over%20145,000%20US%20children%20separated%20from%20parents%20since%20Trump%E2%80%99s%20ICE%20surge,%20study%20estimates&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/18\/children-parents-detained-trump-mass-deportation-push?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F18%2Fchildren-parents-detained-trump-mass-deportation-push&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/18\/children-parents-detained-trump-mass-deportation-push\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The family of a detained migrant speaks to immigration officers in an attempt to gain information at the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1574,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1572"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1572\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1575,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1572\/revisions\/1575"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}