laistofficial “Operation Guardian Trace,” as it’s called in a recently unearthed document, requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement to conduct in-person interviews with the relatives of undocumented children in federal custody, and detain and deport those adults who are “illegally present in the United States.” Why it matters: Immigration attorneys say the policy represents a dramatic reversal in how the government handles the release of unaccompanied minors and treats their undocumented relatives, who were previously allowed to get their children back regardless of their immigration status. Longer detention times for children: When a sponsor is detained, their application to claim the child is invalidated. If no other potential sponsors come forward, the child remains in ORR custody until they can be placed in foster care or they turn 18. Largely due to stricter vetting requirements put in place by the current Trump administration, the average number of days that children remained in ORR custody increased to 117 in 2025 from 30 the year before, according to the agency’s website. Be a part of keeping local news strong: https://ow.ly/Za2150Yw7tx 🔗 Visit the link in bio for the full story. ✍️ Mark Betancourt | California Newsroom 📸 John Moore/Getty Images View all 24 comments