US President Donald Trump's aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration is well-known across the globe.
However, in recent years, an increasing number of Indian parents have been abandoning their children at the borders of Canada and Mexico. Why is this happening?
The trend accelerated in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, with border authorities detaining at least 77 unaccompanied minors between October 2024 and February 2025, according to official data.
Now, the Trump administration is reportedly planning to deport or prosecute unaccompanied immigrant children. In many cases, children are used as a pathway for parents to claim asylum on humanitarian grounds, effectively allowing them to gain entry or protection status. Let’s take a closer look at what’s happening at the American borders.
What is the trend?
Several Gujarati families have admitted to using this route to secure green cards, according to reports from the Times of India.
A man from Gujarat, speaking to The Times of India, defended sending his children to the US alone, saying, “I knew they were safe—they were with friends and relatives and would eventually be in the custody of US authorities.”
Justifying the decision, he added, “We can’t wait for them to finish school in India and then seek legal ways. If they are already there at a young age, they can study, find work, and build a better life.”
In most cases, the abandoned children were between the ages of 12 and 17, though some were as young as six years old, carrying only a piece of paper with their name and their parents' contact information, according to the Economic Times.
Between 2020 and 2025, more than 1,650 unaccompanied Indian minors were apprehended while attempting to cross into the United States, with most being caught at the southern border with Mexico. The highest number—730—were detained in fiscal year 2023, followed by 517 in 2024 and 409 in 2022. In 2021 and 2020, 219 and 237 minors were arrested, respectively.
Why are parents doing this?
According to NDTV, experts suggest that the rising number of unaccompanied Indian minors at US borders reflects a growing strategy among some Indian families seeking permanent residence. In many cases, parents who are already residing illegally in the US reportedly arrange for their children to join them, hoping to claim asylum on humanitarian grounds.
An individual speaking to the Times of India explained that, in many cases, Indian parents who entered the United States illegally later arrange for their children to travel with other undocumented migrants. When the children are apprehended at the border, their families often apply for asylum on humanitarian grounds, a request that is frequently granted.
“They claim asylum on the grounds that their children are already in the US,” he added.
In some cases, Indian minors are reportedly sent to the United States with unrelated adults, only to be abandoned upon arrival. According to sources, these children often carry notes with the names of their parents or guardians, who are typically already residing illegally in the US.
Once in custody, the children are eventually reunited with their families and become eligible for health and education benefits provided by the state.
How is Trump's administration responding?
U.S. immigration authorities are reportedly increasing scrutiny of unaccompanied immigrant children, with officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducting "welfare visits" across the country, according to The Guardian.
In a parallel move, funding for legal support for these minors has been sharply reduced, despite prior court orders mandating such assistance. Additionally, the federal agency overseeing the welfare of these children is now reportedly sharing sensitive personal information with ICE, raising concerns among rights advocates about potential deportation and family separation.
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