U.S. Plans Call Center to Track Unaccompanied Migrant Children

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to open a call center dedicated to tracking unaccompanied migrant children, in a move that aligns with a broader Trump administration effort to deport minors. State and local police will assist in providing information to federal authorities for enforcement purposes.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is set to launch a call center dedicated to locating and potentially deporting unaccompanied migrant children. The initiative, part of a broader Trump administration strategy, will gather data from state and local police, as revealed by a contracting document.

The call center aims to process up to 7,000 calls daily, providing federal authorities with information about unaccompanied children, their locales, and their submissions for deportation consideration. Initially, this effort began in February, focusing on locating minors who entered the U.S. from Mexico without guardians.

This plan comes amidst expanded collaborations between the Trump administration and local authorities, driving up immigration arrests. However, critics argue these efforts undermine community trust and discourage crime reporting among immigrants. Despite requests, ICE, CoreCivic, and the Department of Homeland Security have not commented.

(With inputs from agencies.)