500 immigrant children could be deported in the coming days, anticipates Senator Ron Wyden
Ron Wyden, senator from Oregon, denounces that the Trump administration intends to send hundreds of immigrant children back to their countries of origin
Through a letter, Ron Wyden, senator from Oregon, informed Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), that he had reliable information stating that 500 immigrant children would be deported in the coming days.
In the document, the Democrat points out that the minors in question are in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which is responsible for providing them shelter after arriving at the southern border without any parent or guardian.
Despite this, it points out that they could be subject to accelerated expulsion as they lack a family member or guardian in the United States who can act as a sponsor.
“This is a serious institutional failure that puts hundreds of vulnerable children in immediate danger, effectively removing them from the protection of American oversight and returning them to harm's way.
"Weaponizing the very agency charged with their protection constitutes an unacceptable escalation of the abuse of executive power that undermines our nation's commitment to due process," he wrote.
The ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee warned HHS that engaging in any attempt to expel them without allowing them to be represented by counsel would constitute a serious violation of due process.
“The new information I have obtained leads me to believe that the Department is laying the groundwork for another illegal deportation attempt, this time on a larger scale and in more countries of origin,” he stressed.
In a statement, Emily Hilliard, chief spokesperson for HHS, ruled out that the federal agency plans to detain and deport unaccompanied minors.
“Despite this irresponsible fear campaign, there are no plans to attack these children.
“The Trump administration is working to identify the parents or legal guardians of unaccompanied alien minors in our custody, because ensuring that each child is placed with a properly vetted sponsor is our top priority,” he emphasized.

