“We Were Americans”: The Silent Deportation of U.S. Citizen Children

In a disturbing report from Rolling Stone, new details have emerged suggesting that during the Trump administration, dozens of U.S. citizen children were effectively deported alongside their undocumented mothers — in some cases, allegedly without due process, legal consent, or formal orders. The mothers, detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), were allegedly coerced into signing voluntary departure forms under the threat of indefinite detention or permanent separation from their children.

But what’s most alarming: in multiple cases, U.S. citizen children — born on American soil — were sent to foreign countries they had never seen, never agreed to live in, and had no legal obligation to leave for.

These revelations strike at the heart of what it means to be a citizen. And they raise profound legal and moral questions about how far the government went in its efforts to enforce immigration laws — even at the cost of violating the constitutional rights of children.

Deporting Citizens?

The United States Constitution guarantees that anyone born on U.S. soil is a U.S. citizen. This is not just a label — it’s a legal status with enforceable rights, including the right to reside in the country of your birth.

Yet, according to the Rolling Stone investigation, multiple children — toddlers and young kids at the time — were sent to Central America, the Caribbean, and other regions alongside their deported mothers. In many cases, these children had no passports, had never been outside the country, and were placed on removal flights without any formal legal order requiring them to leave.

“We Were Americans”

In one particularly harrowing case, a U.S. citizen child was placed on a deportation flight with his mother, even after she reportedly begged ICE to allow him to stay behind with family. When she hesitated to sign the removal form, ICE allegedly told her that if she didn’t go, her son would be handed over to foster care. Fearing permanent separation, she signed. Both were removed from the U.S. within days. The child is now struggling in a country he’s never known, far from his school, relatives, and birthright protections. His mother told reporters, “We were Americans. But they treated us like we didn’t belong anywhere.”

While many families that suffered under the public family separation policy at the border have received media attention, this quieter, more bureaucratic form of separation and expulsion has largely flown under the radar — until now.

Where Was the Oversight?

It’s not uncommon for undocumented parents to make the decision to take their U.S. citizen children with them when facing deportation. But what’s at issue here is coercion — parents being told they have no choice, no legal recourse, and no ability to consult a lawyer or advocate.

Legal experts say that forcibly removing U.S. citizen children — even passively, without a signed order or explicit consent — violates the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, both of which guarantee due process and equal protection under the law.

Many of the families involved did not receive any hearings regarding the children’s removal, and no guardianship hearings or custody determinations appear in the court records reviewed. This could amount to a violation of not only immigration law, but also child welfare and constitutional law.

The Fallout

The long-term impact of these removals is hard to overstate. Some children, now older, are still stranded in countries they had never seen before their forced departure. Others have returned to the U.S. under challenging circumstances, traumatized and disconnected from their early lives. Many are now reaching out to immigration attorneys for help regaining documentation, applying for passports, or seeking mental health care.

If you or someone you know believes a U.S. citizen child was removed from the U.S. without proper documentation or legal process, contact an immigration attorney immediately. These cases may qualify for re-entry assistance, litigation, or other legal remedies.

At Lehigh Valley Immigration Law LLC, we are closely monitoring these developments and are committed to fighting for families who have been torn apart by unlawful practices. No U.S. citizen should be quietly stripped of their rights — especially not a child.