“It’s Horrible to Live Like This”: Immigration Policy’s Real-Time Impact on Young Children

The Trump administration has launched a mass deportation campaign in its first few months that is reaching children, families, and communities across the country. As part of this campaign, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has revoked protections from enforcement actions in schools, hospitals, and other sensitive locations; deported parents of American citizens to prisons in foreign countries in direct violation of judicial orders; and detained documented immigrants and U.S. citizens alike without due process.

To better understand the impact of the administration’s actions on the daily lives of families with young children, CSSP interviewed child care providers who work closely with immigrant families in April and May 2025. This brief details what we learned from providers about how the administration’s actions are impacting children and families in real time—as some families pull their toddlers out of child care and are afraid to go outside, young children’s anxiety surges, and child care providers are doing everything they can to mitigate the harm, even as they fear for their own safety.

(13 pp)