What happens to children of immigrants taken by ICE? What to know in Washington
In early February, a teenage girl reportedly showed up at a Bellingham business in tears.
Speaking only in Spanish, the teen told employees that U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement agents had arrested her mother, who was undocumented, but left her behind, a source told The Bellingham Herald in February.
The girl, who was also undocumented, said she had no family in the area and didn’t know what to do. Employees were at a loss for how to help.
Officers with ICE and the U.S. Border Patrol have carried out mass raids and detentions at cities across Washington state and the nation as the Trump administration cracks down on immigration.
What happens when a child is left without their parents as the result of ICE activity? Should you call the police, Child Protective Services or an immigrant rights group?
Here’s what to know:
What should I do if I see an abandoned child?
If you encounter a child who appears to be abandoned for any reason, your first step is to call 911, according to Lt. Claudia Murphy of the Bellingham Police Department.
Law enforcement officers will respond to the call, prioritize moving the child into safety and investigate the cause, Murphy said.
“The Keep Washington Working Act and Bellingham Police Department policy prohibit our officers from conducting immigration activity,” Murphy wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald. “Our officers are prohibited from asking about anyone’s immigration status, absent very specific reasons such as human trafficking crimes.”
What happens to a child whose parents were taken by ICE?
If ICE or Border Patrol agents take parents or guardians into custody in Washington state, there are a few possible outcomes.
Those outcomes are outlined to a flow chart shared with The Bellingham Herald by the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Family Services.
If the child’s parent or guardian has filled out an immigrant safety plan or otherwise indicated with whom the child should be placed if they’re detained, the child will be sent to the “parent-appointed caregiver,” the state agency said.
A different process takes place if the family has not filled out an immigrant safety plan.
If the child is with their parent or guardian when they’re detained, federal officers will verbally ask where the child should be placed, according to the state Department of Children, Youth and Family Services.
However, if the child isn’t with their parents at the time of detainment, they’ll be placed in the care of an unofficial guardian, most likely a family member, the state agency said.
What if the child is being abused or neglected?
If there are “signs of potential child abuse, neglect or imminent risk for serious harm,” federal officers will call the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Family Services’ Child Protective Services, the agency said.
From there, state investigators will determine whether a “social welfare response” is needed.
If there’s evidence of abuse or neglect, the child will be taken into protective custody for 72 hours while the agency searches for “another family member or suitable family friend” to care for the child.
In some cases, the child could get placed into a foster or group home until it’s safe for them to return to the custody of a parent-appointed caregiver, family member or friend.
What are resources for immigrant families in Washington?
Immigrant families have access to a number of resources in Washington state, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network.
Legal Counsel for Youth and Children, a nonprofit organization in Seattle, also works with immigrant youths and their families.
This includes help with creating an immigrant safety plan document, which Legal Counsel for Youth and Children described as a “collective community resource to help parents plan for the care of their children ... particularly if the parent is detained or deported.”
You can find available resources in your community by dialing 211 anywhere in Washington state, according to the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network.
You can call the Deportation Defense Hotline at 1-844-724-3737 if you see potential ICE activity, McClatchy Media previously reported.
The hotline, which is run by Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network, takes reports from around the state about suspected ICE activity, then deploys rapid response teams.