Deportation and Children

Although family courts and child welfare systems were created to protect families and to serve the best interests of children, recent immigration enforcement efforts have created an environment in which immigrant victims of domestic violence no longer feel safe seeking relief through those venues. The once untenable possibility that an immigrant victim of domestic violence could be deported while seeking protection through a court or child welfare agency has recently become all too real. Because of this new reality, and because it can be devastating for children when a parent is removed or deported, the Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Child Protection and Custody has prepared this fact sheet and resource guide to help inform victims of domestic violence and advocates about the risks of parental deportation, identify ways in which parents can protect their children by preparing for the possibility of deportation, and provide a list of resources for immigrant victims of domestic violence.