Homeland Security Debunks US Child Being Deported

DHS Refutes Claims of U.S. Citizen Children Deportation, Emphasizes Parental Choice

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement on May 29, 2025, firmly denying media reports that U.S. citizen children are being deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). DHS labeled these claims as "false and irresponsible," clarifying that in cases involving the deportation of undocumented parents, ICE provides parents the option to either take their U.S. citizen children with them or designate a safe guardian for the children in the United States.

Advocacy Groups Want to Challenge Every Illegal Immigrant

Despite our rich history of immigrants coming to America with proper documents and citizenship processes, most immigrant advocacy organizations, including the National Immigration Project and the ACLU, have contested DHS’s account, arguing that the deportations of U.S. citizen children alongside their undocumented parents raise serious due process concerns. In the cases of three U.S. citizen children—ages 2, 4, and 7—deported to Honduras in April 2025, advocates claim the mothers were not given a meaningful choice, with ICE detaining families during routine check-ins and limiting access to attorneys or family members. Notably, one child, a 4-year-old with Stage 4 cancer, was reportedly deported without medication, prompting outrage from groups like the Southeast Dignity Not Detention Coalition. These organizations assert that ICE’s actions violate constitutional protections for U.S. citizens and have called for investigations into the rapid deportations.

Scrutiny Intensifies Amid President Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

The controversy has drawn significant attention as part of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement, which includes a goal to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. A federal judge in Louisiana, Terry Doughty, expressed “strong suspicion” that a 2-year-old U.S. citizen was deported without due process, scheduling a hearing for May 19, 2025, to investigate.

Democrat critics, including the ACLU, argue that the administration’s swift deportation tactics risk repeating past family separation policies, with at least seven U.S. citizen children reportedly removed since January 2025. Meanwhile, DHS promotes its CBP Home App, offering financial stipends for self-deportation to encourage voluntary departure, asserting it as a safer and more cost-effective option.

The department highlighted two specific cases where mothers, Jenny Carolina Lopez-Villela and Reachel Alexas Morales-Valle, both with final deportation orders, chose to bring their U.S. citizen children with them to Honduras, presenting valid U.S. passports for the children. DHS emphasized its commitment to protecting children, working with federal law enforcement to ensure their safety during such processes.

The debate continues to fuel legal challenges and public outcry among both Republicans and Democrats as to how to find the balance between immigration enforcement and the rights of U.S. citizen children.