Abused and neglected youths granted immigration protections are being detained and deported
Abused and neglected youths eligible for green card detained and deported
Under the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) program, young immigrants who endured abuse, abandonment, or neglect in their home countries were given a route to permanent residency. However, the Trump administration began detaining and removing these individuals, according to a report by the Department of Homeland Security shared with Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev. Between January 20 and December 22, ICE held 265 and deported 132 such youths, NBC News exclusively revealed.
“The program is eroding the stability these children have gained, dismantling the lives they’re constructing toward a secure future,” remarked Rachel Davidson, heading the End SIJS Backlog Coalition within the National Immigration Project.
SIJS was established in 1990 by Congress to safeguard minors who had faced maltreatment in their countries of origin and provide them with a chance to stay in the U.S. and attain green cards. To qualify, applicants must be under 21 years of age when they apply for the status. Due to delays in processing green card applications, SIJS recipients were also shielded by a deferred action policy since 2022, which protected them from deportation and allowed them to work legally while awaiting visa processing.
In June, the Trump administration rescinded the deferred action policy for SIJS holders, though the decision is currently paused as it faces legal scrutiny. The Department of Homeland Security emphasized that SIJS “does not grant lawful status,” asserting the program has been compromised by “fraud and abuses” involving adult gang members admitted under the Biden administration.
“We’ve identified these youth because they fled their home nations under dire circumstances. We aim to prevent further harm or exploitation here,” Cortez Masto stated to NBC News.
Emma Israel, a senior policy analyst at Kids in Need of Defense, noted that the figures provided by DHS were “significantly higher than anticipated.” The agency cited immigration violations, such as unlawful entry or visa overstays, as the basis for deportations, though no records were made public regarding criminal charges or convictions. One notable case involves a 16-year-old who was deported to Guatemala in May 2025, despite being granted SIJS in July 2024.
Elias, who arrived in the U.S. alone at 14 in 2023, endured “severe physical and emotional abuse and neglect” at the hands of his mother, as detailed in court documents seeking his repatriation. After being released from immigration custody, he was placed with his father and relatives in Louisiana. The complaint highlights that Elias was hospitalized due to injuries and often left without food for days, facing constant fear from his mother and her partner.
Following the termination of deferred action in April 2024, Elias was detained without prior notice or an opportunity to respond, as his attorneys recounted. His father was briefly held by ICE in May and instructed to return to Guatemala with Elias. “On May 21, 2025, ICE deported Elias to Guatemala without a removal order, after keeping him in a hotel room in Alexandria, Louisiana for about 12 hours,” said the National Immigration Project, which filed a lawsuit in November.
“ICE’s actions breached federal law and violated Elias’ constitutional rights by denying him contact with his attorney,” the organization stated in its lawsuit announcement.
DHS clarified that Elias “was not illegally removed,” stating the father and son received full due process and were ordered to leave by an immigration judge. The father opted to accompany his son. Elias’ legal challenge persists, while other youth remain in ICE custody.
