Counting Day 217: Trump's regulations delay the discharge of migrant kids to their families
A 17-year-old girl, residing in a New York shelter, grappled with the extended separation from her parents in the U.S., after spending 70 days in detention under President Trump's new regulations. These rules, imposed by the administration, mandate DNA testing, income verification, and other stricter measures, hampering efforts to reunite migrant children with their families.
During a video conference in an immigration courtroom in Manhattan, the girl listened as her lawyer explained the challenges to a judge. The new regulations have resulted in longer stays in shelters for migrant children, with an average of 217 days before release to family members, according to data from the Health and Human Services Department's Office of Refugee Resettlement. This is a significant increase compared to the 35-day average under the Biden administration.
The administration's tougher stance on immigration has led to prolonged separations of migrant children from their hoped-for relatives after crossing into the U.S. The claimed purpose of these policies is to ensure the safety of children and prevent traffickers from illegally bringing minors into the country.
The girl and her 14-year-old brother, who came from the Dominican Republic, were aiming to reunite with their parents, who were already in the U.S. Their complex family situation involved parents living apart, each in different parts of the U.S. The children sought to leave a troublesome living situation in their homeland.
After 70 days in detention, the girl seemed uncertain about her future, wondering if she would ever be reunited with her mother or father in the U.S. If she agreed to leave America, she asked the judge, how swiftly would she be returned to her home country? The judge replied that it would not be an enjoyable experience to remain in the shelter for an extended period.
Thousands of other minors, hailing from Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, and other countries, have shared a similar journey, often venturing alone on the hope of settling with a family member already in the U.S. They have encountered delays in federal custody as officials perform DNA testing, verify family members' incomes, and inspect homes before releasing the children. The new rules also require adults sponsoring children to provide U.S.-issued identification.
The federal government released only 45 children to sponsors last month, despite more than 2,200 children remaining in custody. Immigration advocacy groups have sued the Trump administration, seeking to block the more rigorous requirements on behalf of parents and adult siblings waiting to bring migrant children into their homes.
The DNA testing process has been a contentious issue, with some relatives waiting a month or more just to get a test. Immigration lawyer Tatine Darker, of Church World Service, is among those voicing concern over the delays. DNA Diagnostics Centers, which is conducting the tests for the federal government, did not respond to a request for comment.
Plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit filed by the National Center for Youth Law have also documented lengthy wait times and slow DNA results. One mother in Florida reported waiting at least a month just to get a DNA appointment. Another mother waited three weeks for results, but by the time they arrived, the Trump administration had introduced a new rule requiring additional documentation, such as pay stubs. Many parents living in the U.S. without work authorization do not have the necessary income documents or U.S. identification documents.
The siblings residing at the Poughkeepsie shelter are among those affected by the difficult requirements. Their mother, who moved to New Jersey to earn money to support them, could not meet the new income reporting requirements. Their father, living in Boston, agreed to take them but has been waiting weeks for the DNA testing process to complete.
The siblings, along with thousands of other children, are awaiting reunification with their families, with no clear timeline for when they might be released. The extended detention in shelters has left them feeling downcast and eager to return to their homeland.
- The new immigration policies enacted by the government under President Trump's administration have resulted in lengthy stays for migrant children in shelters, with an average of 217 days before release, as reported by the Health and Human Services Department's Office of Refugee Resettlement.
- The stricter immigration measures, which include DNA testing, income verification, and other requirements, have caused struggles for families trying to reunite, as seen in the case of the 17-year-old girl from New York and her 14-year-old brother, who came from the Dominican Republic.
- The tougher immigration stance has led to delays in federal custody for thousands of minors from countries like Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico, and others, as officials perform DNA testing, verify family members' incomes, and inspect homes before releasing the children.
- The administration's new rules require adults sponsoring children to provide U.S.-issued identification, adding to the challenges faced by parents and adult siblings waiting to bring migrant children into their homes.
- Advocacy groups have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, aiming to block the more rigorous requirements, citing concerns over lengthy wait times, slow DNA results, and the impact of these policies on the health and well-being of the affected children, including those housed at shelters in California, such as Poughkeepsie.
