The Department of Child Safety removes children from homes where they suspect abuse or neglect. But what happens when a parent is removed due to their immigration status? With the new Trump administration deporting immigrants at a pace roughly comparable to recent years, targeting communities rather than focusing mainly on borders, people are asking what happens to children whose parents are deported.

Before: Difficult Parenting Decisions

Undocumented parents retain parental rights, and can take their children with them if they are deported. But many feel that their children would be worse off in conflict-ridden countries. Fears about immigration enforcement lead parents to appoint legal guardians, normally relatives who are U.S. citizens, who they trust to take care of their children in the event of deportation. Older children, such as 23-year-old Yennifer Sanchez, may find themselves taking on the role of parents to younger siblings.

After: What Happens to the Kids?

When a parent is arrested, law enforcement is not always required to ask where their kids are. Because of this, many mixed-status families fear sudden separation. Their fears are not unfounded. Children who do not have an emergency plan in place may simply run away, try to lay low, and fend for themselves.

While thousands of children end up in foster care, others slip through the cracks, especially when they live in communities whose members hesitate to call in the authorities. If they do enter the foster care system, they do so having experienced the trauma of separation from a parent or parents who may never have warranted investigation for abuse or neglect. Their parents may have been loving and attentive. This is important to consider; most children feel loyal towards their parents regardless of how they were treated at home, and children of deported immigrants may feel especially loyal.

Reunification: “Home is Wherever She Is”

The goal of DCS is to reunite children with their biological parents. For children whose parents get deported, reunification means international travel. It means deciding whether to live in the United States, the only home they’ve known, or abroad with their parents. This story of Gloria, an undocumented mother who lived in Arizona, and what happened to her three children after she was deported reveals in heartrending detail how these children can end up living anything but a normal life.

In situations like these, Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation is here to help. Please contact us today if you would like to learn more or donate to AFFCF

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