# Migrant children in Texas immigration courts

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/migrant-children-in-texas-immigration-courts
> Updated: 2026-09-29T17:59:00.000Z. Sources: 13. Developments: 2.

Unaccompanied migrant children, some as young as two years old, are appearing in immigration courts in Harlingen, Texas, to contest deportation orders. Many of these minors lack legal representation to navigate the complex proceedings that determine their ability to remain in the United States.

In one instance, a 13-year-old boy from Honduras was denied asylum despite claims that returning home would be dangerous and that his family resides in the U.S. The judge granted the minor until the end of the month to appeal the order. Hundreds of such children, detained at the southern border or by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, are currently held in shelters managed by the Department of Health and Human Services.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-29: Two Mexicans charged in Texas for trafficking migrant children

Two Mexican nationals face federal charges in Texas for smuggling migrant children and allegedly using THC gummies to sedate them during transit from Ciudad Juárez to the United States.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-immigration-courts-see-migrant-children-appearing-without-lawyers

### 2026-09-28: Migrant children face deportation in Texas immigration courts

Unaccompanied migrant children are appearing in Texas immigration courts to fight deportation, often without attorneys, as they navigate strict U.S. asylum laws.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/migrant-children-face-deportation-in-texas-immigration-courts

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Cite as: Migrant children in Texas immigration courts. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/migrant-children-in-texas-immigration-courts