When Children Watch Their Parents Disappear: The Human Cost of Immigration Detention
A father drops his daughter off at the Montessori school. ICE agents approach. He tries to stay calm, not wanting to scare the child strapped in her car seat. "What's going on?" she asks. He jokes it off—just answering a question. Then his window shatters. He's dragged from the car as his daughter watches her Superman crumble.
This isn't a hypothetical scenario. It's one of countless real incidents happening across America as immigration detention reaches historic highs. And at the center of this crisis are children—many of them U.S. citizens—bearing witness to trauma that will shape them forever.
The Numbers Tell a Devastating Story
As of June 2025, ICE facilities hold 57,861 detainees—a 51% increase that has pushed detention centers 45% beyond capacity. More than 100 U.S. citizen children have been left stranded after their parents were detained or deported. Meanwhile, 1,360 children remain separated from their parents six years after forced border separations.
Civil rights attorney and legislative drafter Maaria Mozaffar emphasizes that family detention and separation aren't new—they transcend political administrations. "We want to break the echo chamber and look at the policies and implementations objectively," she explains.
What's Happening Inside (and Outside) Detention Facilities
Without regular access for elected officials to inspect facilities, information comes only from released detainees and family phone calls. Reports describe a lack of food, water, space, bathroom access, and medication. People sleep on concrete floors with only aluminum blankets.
Outside facilities, the crisis manifests differently but no less traumatically. Children are left on roadsides in Illinois. Students return from school to find parents gone. A young mother driving her children to school—traveling under the speed limit—is stopped and arrested as her eight- and six-year-olds watch.
"What message is that giving to a human being about what the protocol and procedures are of our nation?" Mozaffar asks. "What are we telling children about where they belong in this country?"
The Constitutional Crisis Nobody's Discussing
The erosion of due process protections affects everyone—including U.S. citizens. Mozaffar points to Supreme Court rulings allowing "reasonable suspicion" rather than probable cause, enabling agents to stop people based on physical appearance or language spoken.
She recounts a disturbing case: a U.S. citizen woman of Hispanic descent was detained despite having her passport. The agent claimed it looked fake. A 79-year-old man was tackled in a store when agents bumped into him while chasing someone else—he wasn't even who they were looking for. He's now suing for $50 million.
"Just imagine you're in the car with your family and someone unidentified and masked knocks on your window," Mozaffar challenges. "What would you do?"
What You Need to Know Right Now
If questioned or detained:
Ask if you're being detained and why
Request identification from agents
Ask for a judicial warrant
Don't answer questions or sign anything without a lawyer
Stay calm and have your documents ready
Contact the National Immigration Law Center or state-specific hotlines immediately
Carry documentation. Yes, U.S. citizens should now carry passports or birth certificates due to "reasonable suspicion" policies.
Know the difference: Immigration attorneys handle detention and status issues. Civil rights attorneys address violations of constitutional rights and wrongful detention.
How Communities Can Show Up for Children
When children witness their parents' detention, they lose their sense of safety and protection. Mozaffar urges adults to validate children's emotions while reaffirming the goodness of their parents.
"Don't strip the humanity from the parents in front of the child's eyes," she emphasizes. "Let them know: 'She loves you very much. She works so hard. We're going to figure this out. You have a team—teachers, neighbors, lawyers—on your side.'"
The Path Forward
Mozaffar advocates for three urgent policy changes: mandatory body cameras on ICE agents (which would protect both agents and detainees), comprehensive training on de-escalation and protocols involving children, and reassessing financial incentives that may prioritize detention numbers over proper procedures.
What gives her hope? Citizens are recording. They're watching. They're collecting evidence of due process violations.
"US citizens should absolutely voice their opinions," she urges. "Call your legislators. Write op-eds. Hold town halls teaching people about their constitutional rights."
Because when children watch their parents disappear, we're all responsible for what happens next.