ICE detains over 650 California children during Trump’s second term

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has detained more than 650 children in California since President Donald Trump began his second term in January 2025. Most arrests occurred in interior communities rather than at the border, and the number of interior detentions rose 90% compared with the previous year under the Biden administration.

Over 100 of the detained children were five years old or younger. Specific cases include a 17‑year‑old honors student from Los Angeles County deported to Guatemala, a 9‑year‑old boy and his father sent to Honduras, and a 6‑year‑old deaf student deported to Colombia without his hearing aids. Advocates and medical professionals argue that no period of detention is safe for children, citing a 2016 DHS advisory that recommended ending family detention. State education officials say the crackdown has kept some students out of school, while ICE officials note the operations stem from Trump’s pledge to carry out mass deportations.