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The Hidden Toll of Deportation on U.S. Citizen Children
Deportation debates often dominate headlines—but too rarely do we stop to consider the American children left in its wake. Today, nearly 5 million U.S. citizen children have an undocumented parent at risk of deportation. When that parent is taken away, the consequences are profound, lasting, and deeply unjust.
A Personal Lens on Policy
As a former mayor of a border city in Arizona, Director of the Arizona Department of Commerce, and Chief of Staff at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, I’ve seen both sides of our immigration system. Now, as CEO of Intermestic Partners, an international advisory firm I founded in 2011, I work with top global companies navigating U.S.-Mexico trade and development. And yet, some of the most devastating costs of our broken immigration system aren’t economic—they're human.
The Real Victims: U.S. Citizen Children
Psychological Harm
Studies show children experience anxiety, depression, and PTSD after losing a parent to deportation.
Many fall behind in school or drop out entirely.
Economic Hardship
Deported parents are often primary breadwinners.
Families are pushed into poverty, sometimes homelessness.
Legal Limbo
Children must choose between staying in the U.S. or following their parents abroad.
Many end up in foster care or with relatives, separated from siblings.
Legal Shortcomings
The Immigration and Nationality Act offers no protections for U.S. citizen children. Despite their legal status, these kids face the emotional and financial fallout of a system that views families as collateral damage.
Did you know? There are no current federal legal provisions requiring immigration judges to consider the well-being of U.S. citizen children when ordering a parent’s deportation. That oversight is shocking—and solvable.
A Path Forward
Policy reform is possible—and necessary. Consider these steps:
Amend immigration laws to prioritize family unity.
Establish humanitarian waivers for parents of U.S. citizen children.
Fund trauma-informed support services in schools and communities.
Support grassroots organizations like the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights and the Trauma and Learning Policy Initiative.
The Role of Business in Social Advocacy
As leaders in cross-border commerce, firms like Intermestic Partners have a responsibility to elevate these human concerns. Our work at the intersection of business and policy reveals that economic prosperity and humane immigration aren’t at odds—they’re intertwined.
We can—and must—develop trade and investment strategies that prioritize people as much as profits.
Take Action
You don’t need to be in government to make a difference.
Share this article.
Write to your legislators demanding change.
Support organizations fighting for these children.
Let’s ensure that no child, born in the U.S., grows up fearing the knock on the door that takes their parent away.
Want to collaborate on meaningful, human-centered cross-border solutions? Reach out to me —let's build a better future, together.
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