America’s Forgotten Children

Key points

Nearly half of unaccompanied minors have recently been deported, most without legal help.

Children face “double exclusion”: displaced abroad, then unprotected in U.S. courts.

Trauma from these experiences can cause PTSD, anxiety, depression, and attachment issues.

As a society, we are charged with protecting those who are most vulnerable, those who may struggle to have a voice or to advocate for themselves. Few groups in the United States are more vulnerable than refugee children, particularly unaccompanied minors . Many are sent here by parents or relatives to escape impossible situations in their home countries, including violence, trafficking, poverty, natural disasters, or other crises. In addition, with the rise in ICE raids, many children experience traumatic separ