Thousands of individuals, including sponsors of unaccompanied migrant children, have been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) shared information about them. This development has sparked concerns about the safety and well-being of these children and their families.

Background

The ORR was established in 1980 to resettle refugees fleeing war and persecution. In recent years, the agency has also been responsible for housing unaccompanied migrant children who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border. Historically, the care of these children has been separate from immigration enforcement, with the goal of placing them in the least restrictive setting possible and releasing them from detention as soon as safely possible.

However, under the current administration, the ORR has taken a different approach. Since January 2025, the agency has shared over 460,000 “leads” with ICE about unaccompanied children, their sponsors, and other household members. This has led to the arrest of over 12,000 people, including many who were seeking to reunite with their children.

Impact on Families

The consequences of these arrests have been devastating for many families. For example, a 24-year-old mother named Aurora was detained by ICE along with her 6-year-old daughter after they were reunited. They were sent to a family detention center in Texas, where they spent three weeks before being released. Aurora now faces deportation and is struggling to care for her daughter, who is still traumatized by their experience.

Another family, the Marlenys, were also affected by the ORR’s information sharing. After Marleny’s son was released from ORR custody, ICE agents arrested her and her partner at gunpoint, leaving her son to care for his younger brother alone. These stories illustrate the human toll of the ORR’s policy shift and the need for a more compassionate approach to immigration enforcement.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.