Kansas City immigration court hears cases for children as young as nine

The federal government paused deferred deportation for young immigrants with Special Immigrant Juvenile status in April, creating a new backlog of cases in immigration courts across the country. In Kansas City, that policy shift has placed children as young as nine before judges with little advance warning.

Approximately twelve minors from the Kansas City metro area appeared at the immigration court on Thursday. Their ages ranged from nine to seventeen. The children attended a master calendar hearing, which serves as the initial step in the deportation process. Some sat with parents or guardians, while others appeared alone with their legal representatives. No child present received a deportation order at this session, though future hearings are already scheduled for the coming weeks.

Attorneys from the Kansas City Asylum Clinic stated they received less than one week's notice to bring these clients to an in-person hearing. A nine-year-old boy with autism, dressed in a Spider-Man shirt and jeans, sat at a table and adjusted a drawer knob while waiting for the proceedings to begin. His lawyer noted that such hearings are typically conducted virtually, making the physical requirement a logistical challenge for families and legal teams.

The children in the courtroom hold pending or approved Special Immigrant Juvenile status, a classification designated for immigrant minors who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by a parent. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services rescinded the deferred action policy for applications completed after May 10. According to the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, at least 150,000 youth nationwide now face potential removal. Once deported, these individuals lose the ability to apply for green cards.

Department of Homeland Security officials have cited fraud concerns as a reason for the policy change. In June, DHS general counsel James Percival urged state court judges to take stronger action against what a press release described as rampant fraud in the SIJ process. The agency warned that without proper policing by state judges, the system could allow dangerous criminals into the United States.

A coalition of legal services organizations filed a lawsuit against the government in mid-October. The National Immigration Law Center, one of the parties, described the government's efforts to expedite deportations as a violation of child protection laws. Attorney Aly Englander, who represents several of the children in Kansas City, described the current situation as nonstop chaos. She noted that hearing dates have been advanced and canceled repeatedly, making preparation difficult. After the hearing, Englander informed her client, a girl with a braided bun, that a deportation order is likely at her next appearance.