If a parent is detained, what happens to their children?
Beyond the headlines, we’re digging into the big questions that matter: If a parent is detained, what happens to their children?
For many mixed status families across the country, life can change in an instant. A parent is detained, and children are left navigating uncertainty—often depending on relatives, friends, or neighbors to step in. These moments don’t just affect one household; they ripple through schools, workplaces, and entire communities.
Immigration enforcement is part of how our country upholds its laws, but so is the responsibility we share to care for our neighbors when they face hardship. For Welcomers, understanding what families are going through is a practical first step toward offering steady, common-sense support that strengthens families and the communities we all call home.
THE REALITY FOR FAMILIES
More than 11,000 children with U.S. citizenship had a parent detained in the first half of 2025.
A recent investigation found that from January to August 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested and detained the parents of more than 11,000 children who have U.S. citizenship. That means, on average, 50 children per day were separated from a parent pulled into detention.
Children with U.S. citizenship cannot legally go into detention with their parents. However, there have been a handful of cases where American children were detained alongside them. If a parent is detained, the child is supposed to be left in the care of a trusted family member or friend, or put into foster care. In many cases, the parent does not know where their child is, and can be deported without reconnecting.
Changes in ICE arrest practices last year resulted in a 2,450% increase in detainment of people with no criminal record.
It's not just the scale of detentions that has changed, but who is being detained. A January 2026 report found that shifts in arrest practices have led to a 2,450% increase in ICE detentions of people with no criminal record. New policies also are making it harder to seek bond, meaning more people are being held longer—and potentially being deported—after extended periods in detention with no path to release.
One in three children exposed to immigration detention show symptoms of PTSD, and more than 40% show signs of depression.
Children bear the psychological weight of separation and detention. A study in 2025 consolidated and reviewed data on nearly 10,000 children and confirmed that the detention system deeply harms children's mental health. The study included data on children who were detained themselves and those who were separated from a detained parent. The analysis is clear: No period of detention can be considered safe for children, and all immigration detention is harmful to the mental health of children exposed to it.
This is not just short-term distress. The American Academy of Pediatrics, and 10 other leading medical and mental health organizations, stated that the stress caused by detention and family separation can physically damage a child’s developing brain, with consequences that persist into adulthood. The window to prevent that harm is narrow, which is why providing support in the immediate aftermath is critical.
What welcomers can do
You don't have to be a policy expert or an immigration attorney to make a real difference right now. Here are concrete ways to show up for your neighbors.
1. Get trained, and encourage others to do the same
The most effective thing you can do as a Welcomer is be informed and share your knowledge with your community. Here are two training resources that provide important context and tools:
- Know Your Rights (KYR) advocate training: The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) offers a free, recorded training designed for advocates and community members who want to understand Constitutional rights during ICE encounters and teach those rights to others.
- Rapid response toolkit: This newly updated toolkit offers a comprehensive plan of action for communities responding to ICE raids and arrests, grounded in best practices and lessons learned from past rapid responses. Use these resources to organize, stay informed, and empower your community.
2. Help newcomer families create a plan in case they face detention or deportation
One of the most practical things you can do for a newcomer neighbor is help them plan ahead before a crisis happens. Welcome.US has developed additional considerations for sponsors and newcomers, which provide resources for newcomers who arrived in the U.S. through humanitarian parole pathways and are navigating status changes.
The Appleseed Network's Deportation Preparation Manual is a free, comprehensive guide. It addresses establishing child custody arrangements to prevent children from entering foster care, managing financial assets, navigating public benefits and educational resources for children left behind, and understanding psychological impacts on children.
3. Use your voice to keep families together
What happens in Congress directly determines whether our neighbors can remain safely in the U.S. Calling or writing your representatives is one of the most direct ways to make your voice count—and it works, especially when constituents show up in numbers.
Use our tool to easily contact your representatives on a variety of topics, including extending protections for Haitian newcomers with Temporary Protected Status, supporting sponsorship programs, and maintaining humane practices and immigration principles.
