Abused and neglected youths granted immigration protections are being detained and deported
Abused and neglected youths eligible for green card protections are being detained and deported
Young immigrants who had been granted special protections under the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) program are now facing detention and removal from the U.S. The Trump administration’s policies have led to the apprehension of 265 youth and their deportation, according to a letter from the Department of Homeland Security to Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., shared exclusively with NBC News.
SIJS was established in 1990 to shield immigrant minors who endured abuse, abandonment, or neglect in their home countries. This status provides a pathway to legal residency and green cards, with applicants required to be under 21 years old. However, a backlog in processing applications left many youths reliant on deferred action policies for protection until 2022.
The Trump administration ended this temporary shield in June, though the policy remains paused as it undergoes legal review. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that SIJS does not grant lawful status and claimed the program was compromised by “hundreds of suspected and confirmed adult gang members” admitted under the Biden administration.
“They are tearing them away from the stability they’re in, the lives they’re building on their pathway to permanent protection,” said Rachel Davidson, director of the End SIJS Backlog Coalition, a group affiliated with the National Immigration Project.
Sen. Cortez Masto emphasized that these youths were identified for their escape from “horrific conditions” in their countries. “We do not want them to be further harmed or exploited in our country,” she noted, highlighting the legal provisions designed to safeguard their interests.
Emma Israel, a policy analyst at Kids in Need of Defense, described the DHS figures as “much higher than we expected.” The agency cited immigration violations—such as being in the country without proper admission or visa status—as reasons for deportations. However, federal records did not clarify if any of the youths faced criminal charges.
A Specific Case of Exploitation
Elias, a 16-year-old who arrived in the U.S. alone in 2023, was granted SIJS in July 2024 after enduring “severe physical and emotional abuse and neglect at the hands of his mother,” as documented in court filings. Despite this, he was detained and deported to Guatemala in May 2025, following his father’s brief ICE detention.
“The physical abuse was so severe that Elias was hospitalized for his injuries,” the complaint stated. “Neglect was constant: he was often left alone for days without food. His home became a place of fear and danger.”
According to the National Immigration Project, ICE agents deported Elias without a removal order, holding him in a Louisiana hotel room for about 12 hours and denying him contact with his attorney. The agency argued that the father and son received full due process and chose to be removed together. Elias’ case remains in litigation, while other youth continue to be affected by the policy shift.