Over 10,000 immigrant children are in U.S. custody. In the past year, lawyers say at least 170 willing sponsors were arrested and put in deportation proceedings after coming forward for the child.
Two children recently died in Border Patrol custody. In response, volunteers created pop-up clinics and the Department of Homeland Security ordered medical checks on kids in custody.
Immigration lawyers had argued that the children and their parents were held in inhumane conditions. In another court, a judge gave credit and blame to the Trump administration on reuniting families.
Government documents released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal a pattern of abuse, says the ACLU. The government says its investigations found no evidence of misconduct.
Alfonso Verdis came to the U.S. from Mexico at age 15, working his way from dishwasher to chef in an industry that relies heavily on immigrant labor. But his DACA status in the U.S. will soon expire.