Imagine being a child, alone, arriving at a new border, scared and without family. Now, imagine being told to sign papers that could send you back immediately, without understanding your rights or even speaking to a lawyer. This is the reality facing many unaccompanied immigrant children at the US border, according to legal advocates who have filed a motion to stop a controversial new policy.
Traditionally, children arriving alone are sent to federal shelters, where they connect with attorneys, speak to family, and understand their options before any decisions about their future are made. But a new policy, reportedly implemented by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), introduces the “self-deportation” option much earlier. Advocates say agents are pressuring children to agree to leave voluntarily, threatening long detentions, prosecution of US sponsors, and future visa bans if they refuse.
Attorneys representing Guatemalan children, who are already protected by an existing injunction preventing their deportation without court proceedings, claim this new practice violates the law. They are fighting not only to stop the policy for these children but also to extend these vital protections to minors from other countries. Disturbing testimonies reveal children being yelled at, coerced, and forced to sign documents they didn’t understand, sometimes due to language barriers or even after sustaining injuries without medical care.
While a CBP official stated the self-deport option is only presented orally and voluntarily to *some* children, advocates have uncovered at least 13 cases in South Texas alone, believing this to be just the tip of the iceberg. The stakes are incredibly high for these vulnerable minors, whose futures hang in the balance. The courts now have two weeks to review the government’s response and decide whether to intervene and protect these children’s fundamental rights.
