ICE Recruits Local Cops to Hunt Down Immigrant Kids Under False Pretenses

Early in Donald Trump’s second term, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began sending officers to schools and homes of unaccompanied immigrant children — kids without parents or guardians in the U.S. — claiming these visits were “wellness checks” to protect them from trafficking and ensure compliance with immigration proceedings. But documents obtained by American Oversight and shared with Salon tell a darker story: these visits are a cover for tracking down children and their sponsors for deportation.

The Trump administration aggressively pushed local law enforcement agencies to join this effort through the 287(g) program, a controversial framework allowing police to partner with ICE. In Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, for example, communications show that sheriff’s deputies were tasked with confirming addresses and school enrollment, collecting information on minors and their sponsors, and passing it along to federal immigration authorities. Officers received “prioritized case lists” targeting individuals for deportation and were graded on their productivity.

The sheriff’s office in this rural county was offered significant financial incentives, including a $100,000 transportation stipend and $7,500 per participating officer to equip them for immigration enforcement duties. Despite claiming no wellness checks had yet been conducted under 287(g), the Mille Lacs sheriff’s office accepted tens of thousands of dollars in funding.

Chioma Chukwu, executive director of American Oversight, condemned the program as a “callous disregard for the well-being of children.” She pointed to reports of children used as props in enforcement operations and family separations in detention conditions widely criticized by experts.

Worse, the Mille Lacs agreement appears to have skirted Minnesota law, which requires county board approval for 287(g) deals and bars detaining people solely on ICE civil detainer requests. The ACLU is suing another Minnesota county over similar agreements, highlighting the legal and ethical quagmire these programs create.

This so-called “wellness check” initiative is a chilling example of how the Trump administration weaponized local police against vulnerable immigrant children and families, turning protective services into deportation dragnet. It underscores the urgent need for transparency and accountability in immigration enforcement — and a rejection of policies that put children in harm’s way.