Category

Detention

Supporting Immigrant Children and Families in the Child Welfare System: Challenges & Best Practices for Child Welfare Agencies & Practitioners

By | Culture: Issues & Competencies, Deportation, Detention, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Relief, Language Issues, New CICW Resources, Parental Interests Directive, Practice, Social Work, Social Workers, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), State Policies, Training & Tools, Trainings, Transnational Resources, Unaccompanied Minors

Supporting Immigrant Children and Families in the Child Welfare System: Challenges & Best Practices for Child Welfare Agencies & Practitioners

Megan Finno-Velasquez and Sophia Sepp, New Mexico State University, School of Social Work (August 2025)

This free comprehensive online training addresses the unique challenges and opportunities when working with immigrant children and families in the child welfare system. It is geared toward child welfare agency administrators, practitioners, and other stakeholders. Three free social work CEUs are available from the NMSU School of Social Work.

The Trump Administration’s First 100 Days of Immigration Policy: Impacts to Immigrant Children and Families

By | CICW Publications, Deportation, Detention, Family Separation, Federal Policy, ICE, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Enforcement, Immigration Relief, Law & Policy, Legal/Law, New CICW Resources, Policy Briefs & Analyses, Social Work, Unaccompanied Minors

The Trump Administration’s First 100 Days of Immigration Policy: Impacts to Immigrant Children and Families

CICW Research Workgroup, Center on Immigration and Child Welfare Initiative (August 2025)

This policy brief examines the impacts on immigrant children and families of the Trump administration’s immigration-related actions during his first 100 days in office, and proposes solutions to protect their health and wellbeing.

Deportation Preparation Manual for Immigrant Families

By | Deportation, Detention, Family Separation, ICE, Immigration Enforcement, Practice, Practice Highlight, Youth & Families

Deportation Preparation Manual for Immigrant Families

Appleseed Network (July 2025)

This manual contains detailed information on issues like school safety, child custody, psychological issues for children, and much more in order for immigrant families to prepare for potential deportation. It’s available in both English and Spanish. There is also an accompanying webinar reviewing the manual.

2025 ICE Detained Parents Directive

By | Deportation, Detention, Federal Policy, ICE, Immigration Enforcement, Law & Policy, Parental Interests Directive

2025 ICE Detained Parents Directive

U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (July 2, 2025)

ICE released a revised Detained Parents Directive that provides guidelines for ensuring detained or deported immigrant parents can make decisions about their minor children’s care and participate in child welfare and family court proceedings.

Five Ways the House Reconciliation Bill Will Be Catastrophic for Immigrant Women and Families

By | Detention, Federal Policy, Immigration Relief, Law & Policy, Law/Policy Highlight, Legal/Law, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), Unaccompanied Minors

Five Ways the House Reconciliation Bill Will Be Catastrophic for Immigrant Women and Families

Women’s Refugee Commission (May 19, 2025)

This issue brief explains the harmful impacts of the House Reconciliation bill for immigrant women, children, and families, including stripping healthcare coverage for immigrant survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, decimating legal protections for Unaccompanied Children, and expanding ICE’s detention capacity.

The impact of immigration detention on children’s mental health: systematic review

By | Child Well-Being, Detention, Immigrant Families Research, Research, Research Highlight, Trauma

The impact of immigration detention on children’s mental health: systematic review

Isabella Priestley et al., The British Journal of Psychiatry (April 10, 2025)

This systematic review synthesized data on the detrimental impact of immigration detention on children’s mental health, including high rates of depression and PTSD, underscoring the need for alternative immigration policies that eliminate the detention of children and families.

What will deportations mean for the child welfare system?

By | Child Welfare System Research, Deportation, Detention, Family Separation, Foster Care, Immigration Enforcement, Research

What will deportations mean for the child welfare system?

Matthew Lisiecki, Kevin Velasco, and Tara Watson; Brookings Institution (April 22, 2025)

This article explores the implications of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts on the millions of U.S. citizen children living with undocumented family members, and the state and local child welfare systems that may serve them. 

Detained or Deported: What About My Children?

By | Deportation, Detention, Family Separation, Highlighted Resources, Immigration Enforcement, Practice, Practice Highlight, Social Workers, Youth & Families

Detained or Deported: What About My Children?

Women’s Refugee Commission (February 26, 2025)

This toolkit provides detained and deported parents with crucial information for protecting and maintaining parental rights and making decisions regarding the care of their children. It also provides practitioners and family members with information to ensure that family unity and children’s best interests are taken into consideration in immigration decisions.

Duration in Immigration Detention and Health Harms

By | Detention, Immigrant Families Research, Research, Research Highlight

Duration in Immigration Detention and Health Harms

Altaf Saadi, Caitlin Patler, & Paola Langer; JAMA Network Open (January 24, 2025)

This study explores the association between duration of immigration detention and subsequent health outcomes, finding high prevalence of poor self-rated health, mental illness, and PTSD among recently detained US immigrants.

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