Facing Our Future: Children in the Aftermath of Immigration Enforcement

An Urban Institute report found that children of immigrants have suffered emotionally and financially from harsh enforcement procedures. The Urban Institute recommends strategies for mitigating the harmful impact on affected children.

The report examines the consequences of parental arrest, detention, and deportation on 190 children in 85 families in six locations, providing in-depth details on parent-child separations, economic hardships, and children's well-being. The contentious immigration debates around the country mostly revolve around illegal immigration. Less visible have been the 5.5 million children with unauthorized parents, almost three-quarters of whom are U.S.-born citizens.