Legal Advocates Seek to Halt CBP Policy Pressuring Unaccompanied Children to Self-Deport

Attorneys found 13 cases of children affected by the policy but believe there are more.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Legal advocates have filed a motion seeking to stop U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents from urging immigrant children entering the country without their parents to self-deport. The new policy introduced in September 2025 allows CBP agents to present the self-deportation option to unaccompanied children crossing the border illegally, before they are sent to a federal shelter where they would normally have access to attorneys and an immigration judge.

Why it matters

The attorneys argue that this policy is coercive and denies unaccompanied children the opportunities granted to them under federal law, such as the ability to speak to counsel or their family before making a decision that could have grave implications for their future.

The details

The attorneys, representing Guatemalan children, found 13 cases in South Texas where children were subjected to the new policy. Some children reported that agents threatened, yelled, and coerced them into signing documents they did not fully understand, sometimes due to language barriers. One girl said an agent forcefully convinced her to sign the papers after she had hurt her leg in a car crash and was denied medical treatment.

  • The new policy was introduced in September 2025, according to testimony from CBP officials.
  • The attorneys filed the motion on Tuesday, February 25, 2026.

The players

Mishan Wroe

An attorney with the National Center for Youth law.

Kate Talmor

Senior counsel at the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection.

Michael Julien

A CBP official who wrote in a declaration filed with the court that agents only present the self-deport option to some unaccompanied children crossing illegally, and that it is an option presented orally, not in writing.

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What they’re saying

“It's plainly coercive to threaten children with prolonged detention while they are scared and not given the opportunity to speak to counsel or their family before they make a decision that has grave implications for their future.”

— Mishan Wroe, Attorney, National Center for Youth law (fortmorgantimes.com)

“I thought I had to sign, but I didn't know why or what for.”

— Unidentified girl (fortmorgantimes.com)

What’s next

The federal government will have two weeks to file their opposition, and then the judge can determine whether to intervene and stop the policy from being enforced on Guatemalan children and whether to expand the protection to children from other countries.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing debate over immigration policies and the treatment of unaccompanied minors at the border, with advocates arguing that the new CBP policy denies children their legal rights and protections.