Migrant children face prolonged shelter stays amid legal battles over asylum cases

New policies and legal battles leave unaccompanied migrant children stranded in shelters with fading hopes of staying.

Unaccompanied migrant children in federal care are experiencing severe mental health strains as new administrative policies delay their asylum proceedings. A federal judge recently paused fast-tracked asylum interviews for these minors, offering temporary relief amid ongoing legal disputes over deportation timelines.

• The agencyThe federal Office of Refugee Resettlement is responsible for housing and caring for unaccompanied minors arriving in the country.
• The legal challengeLawyers representing the children successfully blocked expedited asylum interview procedures, describing the previous timeline as a rapid deportation process.