Abused and neglected youths granted immigration protections are being detained and deported

Abused and neglected youths eligible for green card protections face detention and deportation

Young immigrants who endured abuse or abandonment in their home countries were granted a pathway to legal residency. However, the Trump administration began detaining and deporting them, according to a letter from the Department of Homeland Security to Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., shared exclusively with NBC News. From January 20 to December 22 of the previous year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained 265 and deported 132 individuals with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS).

SIJS was established in 1990 by Congress to safeguard minor immigrants who faced abuse, neglect, or abandonment abroad. The program allows these children to stay in the U.S. and eventually obtain green cards. To qualify, applicants must be under 21. Due to a backlog in processing applications, SIJS recipients were often granted deferred action since 2022, shielding them from deportation and enabling legal work until their green card petitions could be reviewed.

“They are tearing them away from the stability they’ve built, the lives they’re working toward through permanent protection,” said Rachel Davidson, director of the End SIJS Backlog Coalition, part of the National Immigration Project.

In June, the Trump administration terminated the deferred action policy for SIJS holders, though it is currently paused due to a pending court case. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed SIJS does not grant lawful status, citing concerns about fraud and abuses, including adult gang members admitted under the Biden administration.

Sen. Cortez Masto highlighted that these youths were specifically targeted because they fled their countries under dire circumstances. “We do not want them to be further harmed or exploited here, so we created legal provisions to ensure their best interests are protected,” she stated.

A case of rapid removal

Elias, a 16-year-old who arrived in the U.S. alone in 2023, was granted SIJS in July 2024 after enduring severe physical and emotional abuse from his mother, as documented in court filings. Despite this, he was detained and deported to Guatemala in May 2025. His father was briefly held by ICE and instructed to return with Elias, who had been living with relatives in Louisiana.

“Elias was hospitalized for injuries caused by his mother’s abuse,” the complaint stated. “He was left without food for days, and his home became a place of fear and danger.” The National Immigration Project, a coalition of legal advocates and community members, called ICE’s actions a clear violation of federal law and Elias’ constitutional rights.

Legal challenges and ongoing disputes

In April, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ended Elias’ deferred action without prior notice or explanation, the complaint noted. The following month, his father was detained and ordered to return to Guatemala. Elias was removed on May 21, 2025, after spending 12 hours in a hotel room in Alexandria, Louisiana, without contacting his attorney. DHS asserted that Elias was not illegally removed and that both he and his father received due process from an immigration judge.

While Elias’ case moves through the courts, other youths remain in ICE custody, raising questions about the broader impact of policy changes on vulnerable immigrant populations. Federal records do not specify whether any of the deported youths faced criminal charges or convictions, though their removals were based on immigration violations like unauthorized entry or visa breaches.