Detention of minors after rollback of protections sparks concern from immigrant advocates
Last week, Joel Camas, a 16-year-old living in the Bronx, New York, showed up for a routine immigration check-in at a federal building in the city, hoping he would be able to return to class at his high school later that morning.
But when Camas appeared at the immigration office accompanied by his lawyers, his attorneys say he was immediately detained and taken into custody, despite telling officials that he has Special Immigrant Juvenile Status -- a federal pathway to legal residency for undocumented minors who have allegedly been abused, neglected, or abandoned.
The detention of the 16-year-old, who was granted SIJS status due to the conditions in Ecuador and because his father abandoned him, occurred one month after his mother, who was issued an order of removal in 2024, self-deported to Ecuador, the country they both fled almost three years ago due to gang violence.
Camas' detention has raised alarm among immigration attorneys about the Trump administration's rollback of protections for SIJS recipients and their risk for deportation to their home countries.
In June, the administration announced a policy change that eliminated the automatic consideration of deferred action and work permits for those with approved SIJS status who are awaiting an available green card visa. The move, according to immigration attorneys, has resulted in the detention and possible deportation of young immigrants who were granted protections by immigration judges.
The government has defended the changes made to the SIJS program by alleging they are addressing "significant national security and public safety concerns" stemming from alleged abuses within the program.
In Camas' case, a federal judge on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order blocking his removal, shortly after the Department of Homeland Security said that Camas "will be reunited with his family" in Ecuador.
"One of the findings that a judge needs to make is that it's in the best interest for this young person to remain in the U.S.," said Beth Baltimore, the attorney representing Joel. "I've never seen young people targeted in this way."
Similarly, Carlos Guerra Leon, an 18-year-old from Spring Valley, New York, was stopped and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in August while on his way to work.
According to Guerra Leon's attorney, Sarah Decker, he was detained without a warrant by officers and told he had a final order of removal, despite having SIJS status and being granted deferred action through 2026.
Guerra Leon was transported to Jackson Parish Detention Center in Louisiana, where he remains in detention. His attorneys have a pending lawsuit alleging that his detention is unlawful and that his arrest was in violation of his Fourth Amendment rights.
In a statement to ABC News, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that Guerra Leon chose to remain in the U.S. despite a removal order "in violation of the [country's] immigration laws."
McLaughlin did not address Guerra Leon's SIJS status.
"He had just graduated from high school this past June," Decker said of Guerra Leon. "He was diligent and a well-respected worker at a local car wash, and community members have described him as an extremely hardworking, kind, and responsible young person who was dedicated to building a career in a special trade and finishing his education."
