Dozens of Kids Entered Foster Care After ICE Detained Their Parents

Records show at least 32 children were separated from their parents due to immigration enforcement actions over the past year

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Federal immigration agents are supposed to accommodate parents in making arrangements for someone else to take their children before they're separated, but at least 32 children of immigrants entered foster care over the past year after their parents were detained or deported, officials in seven states told NOTUS. The full scale of children being split from their parents due to immigration enforcement is unknown, as the federal government doesn't have comprehensive data and state-level data is patchy.

Why it matters

With a record-breaking 71,000 immigrants in detention, the Trump administration has reshaped what family separation looks like. Officials and advocates for children say there's a building tension between protecting the minors' privacy and knowing where they are to connect them with services they need. More than 6 million children - 5.3 million of whom are U.S. citizens - are at risk of separation from at least one parent living in the country without legal status.

The details

Federal immigration agents are supposed to accommodate parents in making arrangements for someone else to take their children before they're separated, according to a 2025 ICE directive. If the parent can't find someone to take the child or if there are signs of abuse, immigration officers have to contact the local child welfare agency or local law enforcement. However, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not answer questions about how many times since the start of Trump's second term immigration agents had contacted local authorities to take custody of a child.

  • Over the past year
  • In October 2025, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new law allowing immigrants to legally designate secondary caregivers who have partial guardianship rights during temporary absences, including detention.
  • The latest available data from ACF shows that 162 children entered foster care from October 2023 to September 2024

The players

Shaina Simenas

Co-director of the technical assistance program at the Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights.

Kurt Heisler

Previously oversaw the data team at the Administration for Children and Families and is now the founder of ChildMetrix, a child welfare data analysis company.

Melissa Adamson

A senior attorney with the National Center for Youth Law, part of the legal team working to ensure the federal government enforces a settlement prohibiting authorities from detaining immigrant children for more than 20 days.

Jake Sunderland

Press secretary for the Oregon Department of Human Services.

Heather Tarczan

Communications director for the Department of Children and Family Services in Illinois.

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What they’re saying

“I am concerned that it is now hazardous to have data like this because of how the current administration is using data to find families that they want to deport or detain.”

— Kurt Heisler, Founder of ChildMetrix, a child welfare data analysis company

“There are many reasons why state agencies might be concerned about tracking individuals' immigration status, which makes this issue particularly hard to untangle.”

— Melissa Adamson, Senior attorney with the National Center for Youth Law

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.