Subsequent Trump and Court Action(s)

• February 10, 2025

  2025.02.10 ICE: UAC Increased Coordination Email to ICE Field Offices

  ICE ERO leadership distribute the memo described in this entry to ICE Field Office Directors and Deputy Field Office Directors by email, requiring each ICE Field Office to provide 1-2 officers to “participate and contribute to the effort.”

  A copy of this email was obtained by FOIA by the End SIJS Backlog Coalition, a project of the National Immigration Project.

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• February 21, 2025

  2025.02.21 Reported: HHS investigating vetting policies for individuals wishing to sponsor unaccompanied children - New York Post

  The New York Post reports that HHS is investigating ORR's previous vetting policies for individuals wishing to sponsor unaccompanied children. It will suggest and implement reforms.

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• February 25, 2025

  2025.02.25 Reported: Trump admin planning operation to find and possibly deport unaccompanied migrant children - NBC

  NBC News reported that "sources familiar with the planning" of the Unaccompanied Alien Children Joint Initiative said that ICE will "focus on children whose sponsors did not answer the phone on the 30-day check-in" and on children who do not have court dates. The article reports that from fiscal year 2019 to August 2024, more than 291,000 children were not given notices to appear in court.

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• March 25, 2025

  2025.03.25 DHS OIG - ICE Cannot Effectively Monitor Location and Status of Unaccompanied Children

  DHS' Office of Inspector General published a report finding that ICE cannot effectively monitor the location and status of all unaccompanied children once released or transferred from DHS and HHS custody. The report states that 31,000 children released from HHS custody between 2019 and 2023 had missing or incomplete release addresses in their records; as of January 2025, 233,000 children had not been served with NTAs; and as of October 2024, 43,000 children who had been served NTAs failed to appear at their immigration court hearings. Additionally, the report states ICE received insufficient information about children's "status and safety."

  The report contains four recommendations aimed at improving ICE’s ability to monitor unaccompanied children: (1) review and revise information-sharing agreements between ICE and HHS; (2) develop and implement a process to review ICE system data and identify inaccurate or incomplete data; (3) develop and implement a plan to address the backlog of unserved Notices to Appear for unaccompanied children; and (4) update existing guidance to clarify how ICE ERO officers should elevate concerns regarding the safety or circumstances of unaccompanied children.

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• April 12, 2025

  2025.04.12 Reported: Immigration agents turned away after trying to enter LA elementary schools - Independent

  The Independent reports that DHS officers attempted welfare checks on five immigrant children at two elementary schools in Los Angeles, California. DHS stated that agents “were at these schools conducting wellness checks on children who arrived unaccompanied at the border. This had nothing to do with immigration enforcement.” Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the officers falsely claimed they had parental authorization to contact the children; school officials at the schools told ICE they would need a court order or a warrant.

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