“They are in a high risk condition for many topics: school abandonment, child labor, labor exploitation, also particularly adolescents in danger of sexual violence, early pregnancies. Hence the importance of prioritizing children and adolescents in their rights, ”he explains.
Tom Homan, called the ‘border tsar’ of President Donald Trump, has argued that complete families will be deported, a practice that was suspended during the administration of Joe Biden; Even in the case of minors born in the United States but they are children of undocumented migrants, it will be fathers and mothers who must decide if they are deported with their children or leave them with a relative in US territory.
After protesting as president, Trump revoked The restriction that prevented raids in schools, hospitals and churches To immigration authorities.
“This action empowers the brave men and women of CBP (Customs and Border Protection Office) and ICE (immigration and customs control service) to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal foreigners, murderers and rapists, They have illegally entered our country, “announced the Department of National Security (DHS) in a statement.
José María Ramos, researcher at the Northern Border College (Colef), highlights the need to have specific protocols to serve children and adolescents deported.
The Colef academic points out that it is necessary to have coordination between government institutions and civil society organizations, as well as psychosocial support programs, family reintegration plans, educational support and medical care.
“In some cases there are not necessarily protocols, so the challenge in the coming context, where they could be increased (expulsions), is that the well -being of those minors can be guaranteed,” says the specialist.
Ramos warns that some minors leave the country due to problems of violence, disintegration of their families or for their economic situation, so they face different degrees of vulnerability, so it is important to keep track.
“It is essential to establish a monitoring system to verify the well -being of the child after the return, which in practice is very complicated; first because of the absence of this policy and second because this element of coordination (between authorities)” does not necessarily exist “” Sustains the Colef researcher.
The return of other nationalities to Mexico
To the expulsion of Mexican minors from the United States, the deportation of minors from other nationalities to Mexico is added, which It has increased by 270.6% in six years, from 29,258 in 2018 to 108,444 in 2024.
Although President Claudia Sheinbaum has reiterated that Mexico will not be “third safe country” – and only foreign migrants will be helped for humanitarian reasons, and then repatriate her country of origin -, from January to August, 2024 the presence was recorded in Mexico of 108,444 migrants in an irregular situation, being Venezuela, Ecuador, Honduras and Colombia its main countries of origin.
