ICE Arrests 250 Children in San Diego: Traumatic Record of Family Separation Under Trump

ICE arrests of minors in San Diego skyrocketed from 27 to 250 children in 2025, according to exclusive federal data revealing the devastating scope of Trump’s mass deportation campaign on families.

The dramatic increase represents an 826% surge in a single year, making the San Diego region the epicenter of a family separation crisis that is traumatizing thousands of children across the United States.

”Will you be here when I wake up?”

The question a 5-year-old boy asked his mother the first night after ICE arrested his parents captures the anguish experienced by thousands of children affected by Trump’s policies.

Estefany Pineda and her husband Reinaldo Chirino were arrested by ICE just after dropping their kids off at school in Chula Vista. Agents gave them two options: find someone to care indefinitely for their 5- and 14-year-old children, or surrender them to the foster care system.

“The parents have told me ample examples of things their kids have said that makes it clear they’ve been traumatized,” explains Nerea Sholl, attorney with the Law Office of Andrew Nietor representing the family.

Their 14-year-old son, who already had a healthy fear of ICE and Border Patrol agents, is now constantly on edge, especially whenever his father’s ankle monitor beeps.

117 Days: The New Normal in Child Detention

Detained children now remain in custody an average of 117 days, nearly four times longer than the typical 30-day detentions from previous years, according to federal records.

“They are not designed to hold children for months and months on end, which is what is happening right now,” warns Mickey Donovan-Kaloust, director of legal services at the San Diego-based Immigrant Defenders Law Center.

The center has represented multiple children who stayed in ORR custody for six months or longer. In one extreme case, they filed a federal lawsuit to release a child detained for more than nine months.

Different Destinations, Same Trauma

Detained minors in San Diego face two routes:

With parents: Transferred to out-of-state family centers like the controversial Dilley, Texas facility, where Liam Ramos, the 5-year-old boy arrested in Minneapolis, was sent.

Unaccompanied: Sent to ORR facilities ranging from group homes to juvenile detention-style centers, and even makeshift tent camps.

The Devastating Psychological Cost

“We are seeing lots of tears, a lot of mistrust of adults,” describes Donovan-Kaloust. “They will shut down and won’t want to meet their attorneys anymore. Lots of confusion and asking, ‘why am I still here, when will I be able to go with my family?’ and no one can provide an answer to them.”

Decades of research show that children affected by immigration enforcement face increased risks of:

Depression and anxiety
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Separation anxiety
Delayed developmental milestones
Academic problems

Legal Trauma: Too Wounded to Speak

For immigration lawyers, representing traumatized children adds extreme complexity to already difficult cases.

“It’s very difficult (to succeed) if the child is so traumatized that they can’t even tell their story,” explains Carmen Chavez, executive director of San Diego-based Casa Cornelia Law Center.

Matthew Cannon, attorney leading the children’s program, has seen kids who start out as “bright, happy kids” but end up anxious and depressed.

Numbers That Hurt

Federal data for 2025 in the San Diego-Imperial region reveals:

250+ children arrested (vs. 27 in 2024)
117 days average in detention
Thousands of families separated
Documented trauma in child victims

“We’re talking about youngsters who have lived through very traumatic, violent circumstances, and somehow they’ve emerged,” reflects Chavez. “That human spirit of wanting to survive, wanting to find safety and find it here.”

What Can Communities Do?

Researchers recommend that school districts and local governments:

Provide proactive mental health services
Train staff to recognize trauma
Establish family emergency protocols
Connect families with legal resources
Create “safe zones” in schools

Your Neighbor Could Be Affected

“These children impacted by immigration enforcement are part of the community,” emphasizes Chavez. “They could be your kid’s classmate or teammate. Their parents could be your co-workers or neighbors.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did child arrests increase so dramatically? Trump’s mass deportation policies eliminated previous protections and prioritized arrests without distinction of age or family ties.

Can children be deported alone? Yes, especially unaccompanied minors. Children with parents can also be separated if parents are deported first.

What rights do detained children have? Minors have rights to legal representation, medical services, education, and family contact, though reality often differs.

Where to seek legal help? Casa Cornelia Law Center (San Diego), Immigrant Defenders Law Center, or local bar associations can provide referrals.

The trauma of family separation marks an entire generation of American children. As Trump intensifies deportations, the human cost becomes impossible to ignore.

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ICE Arrests 250 Children in San Diego: Traumatic Record of Family