PREMIUM There are long-lasting, negative effects for children like Liam Ramos who are detained or watch their parents be deported

"When Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained Liam Conejo Ramos, a 5-year-old boy who is an asylum seeker, in Minneapolis on Jan. 20, 2026, the photos quickly became a flash point in the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement activity. In one image, a man wearing a black uniform holds onto a gray and red Spider-Man backpack that the worried-looking young boy, wearing a blue bunny hat with floppy ears, has on his back."

"Meanwhile, ICE and Customs and Border Patrol operations near schools have become increasingly common over the past year, spreading from Texas to Maine. While some parents in Minnesota have set up patrols around schools, there are families choosing to keep their kids home for days or weeks. We are scholars of migration and children and childhood adversity. Our research shows that exposure to severe immigration enforcement experiences during childhood carries long-term, significant consequences:"

"Children whose immigrant parents are arrested, detained or deported often experience emotional and behavioral problems, including separation anxiety, school absenteeism, hyperactivity and other behavioral issues. Yet, until recently, it has not been well understood how experiencing or being subjected to immigration enforcement actions affects children once they grow up to become adults. That said, over three decades of research shows the clear links between traumatic childhood events and mental health problems in adulthood."

Images of a detained 5-year-old asylum seeker in Minneapolis and increasing ICE and CBP operations near schools have intensified enforcement visibility across states. Some parents patrol schools while others keep children home for days or weeks. Research shows that exposure to severe immigration enforcement during childhood carries long-term, significant consequences: exposed children are about twice as likely to experience anxiety in young adulthood. Immediate effects include separation anxiety, school absenteeism, hyperactivity and other behavioral problems. Decades of studies link traumatic childhood events, including temporary parental separation, with higher risks of depression and other mental-health problems in adulthood.

Read at Brooklyn Eagle