Ledy Ordonez was working at a seafood wholesaler in San Antonio last July when immigration agents detained her along with several others. Now separated from her 2-year-old son, Alonzo—who was born in the United States and is under the care of a family friend—Ordonez remains in a Texas detention center. “He can walk and talk now,” she said, reflecting on the months spent apart.

A recent analysis by researchers at the Brookings Institution estimates that more than 100,000 children have been separated from their parents during the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement, with about 75% of these children likely U.S. citizens. These figures substantially exceed official Department of Homeland Security (DHS) statistics, which put the number of children affected at approximately 60,000.

The Brookings study, which draws on Census Bureau data and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest records, estimates that around 205,000 children have experienced parental detention, generally a step preceding deportation. Of these, about 145,000 are believed to be U.S. citizens. The researchers used statistical modeling based on detainees’ demographics and family status to arrive at these estimates, suggesting that DHS data may undercount separations due to inconsistent data collection and detainees’ reluctance to disclose family information.

The analysis highlights a significant increase in family separations compared to the 2018 “zero tolerance” policy, during which roughly 5,500 children were separated from their parents immediately after crossing the southern border. The current enforcement operations have resulted in about 400,000 arrests of immigrants within the interior United States, but data on the number of children affected and their subsequent care arrangements remain sparse.

DHS did not directly address questions regarding the discrepancies in these counts but maintained that detained parents typically have the option either to leave with their children or to designate caregivers for them. Researchers caution, however, that many children end up living with friends or extended family without formal legal responsibilities, often placing additional strain on households already facing financial and immigration-related challenges.

Interviews with child welfare agencies suggest that only a small portion of these children enter foster care or similar systems. Legal aid organizations like Public Counsel in Los Angeles have provided guidance to thousands of immigrants on custody planning, while groups such as Each Step Home focus on maintaining connections between detained parents and their children, often U.S. citizens like Alonzo.

Cases like that of Samantha Lopez, a 3-year-old U.S. citizen whose mother was detained after a traffic stop, illustrate the personal toll of these separations. Samantha’s husband described the emotional impact on the family and the challenges of securing legal aid while caring for their child.

Families face complex obstacles; for example, U.S.-born children cannot be held in immigration detention, which can lead to enforced separations even when parents request to remain together. Ordonez, who is reportedly facing imminent deportation, has been working to obtain a passport for her son to take him along but may be forced to leave him behind with his caretakers.

Experts emphasize the government’s responsibility to protect the welfare of these children, many of whom are U.S. citizens caught in the crossfire of immigration enforcement policies. As funding for detention capacity expands under recent legislation, analysts predict the number of affected families will continue to rise.