Wyden Continues to Sound the Alarm on Trump Administration Attempts to Deport Unaccompanied Children Into Dangerous Conditions

Wyden Continues to Sound the Alarm on Trump Administration Attempts to Deport Unaccompanied Children Into Dangerous Conditions

As Courts Extend Temporary Protections to Guatemalan Children in Office of Refugee Resettlement Custody, Ranking Member Highlights High Risk of Harm to Children and Human Rights Violations if Trump Plans Proceed

Text of the Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., sounded the alarm on the Trump administration's efforts to illegally deport vulnerable unaccompanied children to Guatemala and demanded assurances that the Administration will not resume this effort. Despite court orders preventing the deportation of Guatemalan children, reports suggested that the Trump administration is gearing up to pursue similar actions against other children in Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) custody. Such an effort would constitute a violation of U.S. law and human rights obligations.

"The record is clear that the children targeted for removal did not wish to return to Guatemala and their families did not request their return. Children who were awoken in the middle of the night expressed fear of returning to Guatemala, in some cases expressing fear of harm or death," Wyden wrote. "ORR is required by law to act in the best interests of children in its custody. It should go without saying that the terror and uncertainty you have inflicted on unaccompanied children violates this mandate, as would any future attempts to illegally deport extremely vulnerable children."

The letter comes as a U.S. District Court judge continued to block Trump's attempt to deport Guatemalan children, citing that the children and their families expressed fear of harm if they are deported. The letter reiterated demands to assure legal representatives for these children that they will not face illegal deportation.

Last month, Wyden blew the whistle on the Trump administration's initial attempt to illegally deport children in its custody.

The letter can be found here.

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