Migrant children displaced under cover of darkness in a tent city in Texas

The number of migrant children detained has increased, even though monthly border crossings have remained relatively unchanged, in part because of the harsh speech and policies introduced by the Trump administration, which have made it more difficult for the placement of children. Children with godparents.

Traditionally, most sponsors themselves were undocumented immigrants and feared to compromise their own ability to stay in the country by taking a step forward to claim a child. The risk increased in June, when federal authorities announced that potential sponsors and other adult members of their household would be required to submit their fingerprints and that data would be shared with immigration authorities.

Last week, Matthew Albence, a senior official of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told Congress that the agency had arrested dozens of people who had asked to sponsor unaccompanied minors. The agency then confirmed that 70% of those arrested did not have a criminal record.

"Nearly 80% of people who are godparents or family members are in the country illegally, and a large part of them are foreign criminals. So we continue to pursue these people, "said Albence.

Anxious to speed up the treatment of children, officials have introduced new rules that will require some of them to appear in court a month after their detention, rather than after 60 days, which was the previous standard, according to the workers of the accommodation center. Many will appear by videoconference, rather than in person, to plead their case before an immigration judge. Those who are deemed ineligible for relief will be expelled quickly.

The longer children remain in detention, the more likely they become anxious or depressed, which can lead to violent explosions or escape attempts, according to shelter workers and information from the system in recent months.

The lawyers said these concerns are reinforced at a larger facility like Tornillo, where the signs of a struggling child are more likely to be overlooked because of their size. They added that taking children to the tent city without enough time to prepare them emotionally or to say goodbye to their friends could aggravate a trauma that many are already struggling with.