US deportation of unaccompanied minors reaches high levels

Data from the Mexican Ministry of the Interior reveals a significant increase in the deportation of unaccompanied Mexican minors during the first seven months of 2026. Between January and July, the Trump administration repatriated 4,004 unaccompanied children and adolescents (NNA) to Mexico. In the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez corridor alone, 94.56 percent of deportations involved unaccompanied minors.

Legal representation for these children has faced severe instability. Following the cancellation of funding for programs providing legal aid to approximately 26,000 children in early 2025, a series of judicial battles and contract disputes ensued. While a judge ordered the payment of approximately $65 million in owed fees in August 2026, the transition to new contractors, including Our Rescue and the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, has caused confusion in immigration courts.

Many of the deported minors are navigating legal proceedings without prior knowledge of their counsel, often facing government attorneys without speaking English. While federal law from 2008 provides certain protections for unaccompanied minors, it does not guarantee a universal right to free legal representation in all immigration processes.