More than 12,000 people have been arrested by US immigration authorities following tips from the US Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) during President Donald Trump's second term, according to reports.

Since Trump returned to office, ORR has shared more than 460,000 investigative leads with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) involving migrant children, their sponsors, and other household members.

460,000 leads

Investigative leads shared by ORR with ICE since Trump's second term began, involving migrant children and sponsors.

Jen Smyers, ORR's former deputy director under President Joe Biden, said that safeguards separating child welfare from immigration enforcement have been "completely reversed."

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that ORR has provided ICE Homeland Security Investigations with potential leads involving children placed with "unvetted sponsors," including some with criminal records.

ORR said it plays no role in immigration arrests and that enhanced sponsor screening is intended to protect children.

A 24-year-old Mexican mother, identified only as Aurora, spent more than six months in an ORR shelter before her 6-year-old daughter was released to her in March. Days later, both were detained after reporting to an ICE office, spending three weeks at the family detention center in Dilley, Texas, before Aurora was released with an ankle monitor. DHS said Aurora admitted she had been illegally smuggled across the border.

Aurora said she later lost her home and now fears deportation; her daughter still wakes up crying, believing she is back in detention.

Another Guatemalan mother, Marleny, reunited with her teenage son after he spent four months in ORR custody. Two months later, she and her partner were arrested by ICE outside their Texas home. DHS said agents were executing a criminal search warrant involving Marleny's partner but did not provide further details. The arrests left Marleny's 17-year-old son caring for his 6-year-old brother alone; after missing an immigration court hearing, he now faces a deportation order while trying to reopen his case.

Critics say the practice undermines protections designed to encourage families to reunite without fear of detention. According to ORR, the average stay for children in government custody rose from 30 days in fiscal 2024 to 194 days by June 2026.