RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesSince the early 2000s, the ORR has been charged with housing unaccompanied migrant children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border
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Families reunited — then detained. That's the reality facing thousands of migrant parents after the Trump administration dramatically expanded information-sharing between two federal agencies once kept largely separate.
More than 12,000 people have been arrested by U.S. immigration authorities after tips from the Office of Refugee Resettlement during President Donald Trump's second term, according to internal government data reviewed by Reuters.
The figures highlight a major policy shift. ORR, which oversees unaccompanied migrant children, historically focused on child welfare rather than immigration enforcement.
But since Trump returned to office, the agency has shared more than 460,000 investigative "leads" with ICE involving migrant children, their sponsors — often parents or relatives — and other household members.
Critics say the practice undermines protections designed to encourage families to reunite without fear of detention.
Jen Smyers, ORR's former deputy director under President Joe Biden, said safeguards separating child welfare from immigration enforcement have been "completely reversed," accusing the administration of using the program to boost deportations.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed ORR has provided ICE Homeland Security Investigations with potential leads involving children placed with what it described as "unvetted sponsors," including some with criminal records.
ORR said it plays no role in immigration arrests and that enhanced sponsor screening is intended to protect children.
Among those caught up in the policy is Aurora, a 24-year-old Mexican mother who asked not to be identified. After spending more than six months in an ORR shelter, her 6-year-old daughter was finally released to her in March.
Days later, Aurora and her daughter were detained after reporting to an ICE office, government records show. They spent three weeks at the family detention center in Dilley, Texas, before Aurora was released with an ankle monitor while her immigration case proceeds. DHS said she admitted she had been illegally smuggled across the border.
Aurora said she later lost her home and now fears deportation. Her daughter, she said, still wakes up crying, believing she is back in detention.
The Trump administration's stricter vetting has also sharply extended the time children spend in government custody. According to ORR, the average stay rose from 30 days in fiscal 2024 to 194 days by June 2026.
Another Guatemalan mother, identified only as Marleny, reunited with her teenage son after he spent four months in ORR custody. Two months later, she and her partner were arrested by ICE outside their Texas home while leaving for work.
DHS said agents were executing a criminal search warrant involving Marleny's partner but did not provide further details.
The arrests left her 17-year-old son caring for his 6-year-old brother alone. After missing an immigration court hearing amid the turmoil, he now faces a deportation order while trying to reopen his case.
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