In a sharp rebuke, immigration advocates in the United States have strongly criticized a newly proposed policy by the Trump administration that specifically targets undocumented children from the Caribbean and other regions. The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), a prominent advocacy organization representing over 200 immigrant groups, has raised alarms over what it describes as a planned enforcement operation aimed at unaccompanied minors. According to NYIC President and CEO Murad Awawdeh, leaked details of the policy reveal that children involved in court proceedings to establish their legal right to remain in the U.S. face indefinite detention and immediate transfer to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) upon turning 18—unless they withdraw their cases. Additionally, parents of these children are threatened with arrest. Awawdeh emphasized that over 50,000 unaccompanied children have been reunited with their families in New York over the past decade, underscoring the human impact of such policies. He urged affected individuals to seek immediate legal counsel and called on the Trump administration to abandon the policy, which he argued undermines due process and endangers vulnerable children. Awawdeh also appealed to New York State lawmakers to pass the Access to Representation Act, ensuring legal representation for all immigrants in court. Meanwhile, Caribbean immigrant advocacy groups have expressed concerns over the federal government shutdown’s impact on immigrant communities, citing delays in asylum hearings and visa applications. Awawdeh highlighted the inconsistent responses of immigration courts to the shutdown, which has caused significant disruptions in New York and beyond.
Immigration advocates condemn proposed new policy targeting unaccompanied children
