Two New Reports Reveal Harms of Prolonged Custody for Unaccompanied Children
WASHINGTON – Today, the Acacia Center for Justice and the National Center for Youth Law jointly released two companion resources that expose the devastating consequences of prolonged custody for unaccompanied children in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The Acacia Center for Justice report, “Dismantling Protections: How ORR Policy Changes Trap Children in Extended Detention,” examines the alarming increase in the average length of stay (LOS) for children in ORR custody, which has increased six-fold from one month in early 2025 to now six months. The report identifies systemic barriers — including hostile vetting of potential sponsors, enforcement-driven deterrence tactics, and policy shifts — that have contributed to this extended confinement for vulnerable children. Each additional day in custody compounds the risk of psychological harm and increases the likelihood of unlawful government actions against children.
The companion resource from the National Center for Youth Law summarizes recent ORR policy changes preventing children’s release from custody and addresses the psychological toll of long-term government detention. Drawing on clinical research and firsthand accounts, the report highlights how institutional settings — no matter how well-intentioned — fail to meet the developmental and emotional needs of children who have already endured trauma. The findings echo warnings from pediatric experts that immigration detention is no place for any child.
“The average length of stay for vulnerable unaccompanied children in government custody has increased six-fold since the beginning of this administration and plateaued at nearly half a year since then,” said Jonathan Beier, Associate Director of Research and Evaluation of the Acacia Center for Justice’s Unaccompanied Children Program. “Six months is an eternity for children stuck in custody, and every day is harder than the last. The trauma doesn’t pause just because the data plateaus.”
“New ORR policy changes that increase children’s length of time in custody and increase risk for family separation via sponsor detention or deportation are contrary to children’s best interests and are likely to increase the rates and severity of child and family psychological distress, with potential long-term negative impacts on children’s overall well-being and functioning," said Dr. Ryan Matlow, child clinical psychologist and Clinical Associate Professor in Stanford’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
“As politics are being played out on the backs of unaccompanied children, who have fled their home countries seeking safety in the US, the Office of Refugee Resettlement has quietly abandoned its commitment to expeditiously releasing children to their loving families. Instead, the agency has acquiesced to the administration’s policy goals regardless of the human toll it takes on children and families,” said Neha Desai, Managing Director of Children’s Human Rights & Dignity at the National Center for Youth Law.
In response to the release of these two resources, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, lead sponsor of the Children’s Safe Welcome Act, released the following statement:
“Like during his first administration, Trump’s inhumane detention policies are traumatizing migrant children and families fleeing persecution— inflicting lasting harm and trauma. These reports from NCYL and Acacia shine a needed light on the Trump Administration’s dangerous policy of prolonging the jailing of innocent kids for as long as they wish. We cannot be silent in the face of this cruelty, and I’ll soon be reintroducing my Children’s Safe Welcome Act and pushing to get it passed to keep these vulnerable kids safe.”
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The National Center for Youth Law centers youth through research, community collaboration, impact litigation, and policy advocacy that fundamentally transforms our nation's approach to education, health, immigration, foster care, and youth justice. Our vision is a world in which every child thrives and has a full and fair opportunity to achieve the future they envision for themselves.
Acacia Center for Justice expands meaningful access to justice and freedom for immigrants at risk of detention or deportation in partnership with an accountable and independent national network of immigrant legal service providers and community partners. Acacia Center for Justice’s reach and impact are unparalleled. The national nonprofit currently operates publicly funded programs and responsive collaborations through a network of over 130 legal service providers nationwide.
