Maribel Lopez has been separated from her children since early September, detained and deported to Guatemala, leaving behind her 2-year-old son. She has a pending asylum case on appeal after fleeing years of abuse in her home country. This isn’t just a news story. Separation from a primary caregiver isn’t something a baby “gets over.” It’s trauma. And for babies and toddlers, that trauma shows up in ways many adults don’t recognize. Trouble sleeping. Clinginess. Aggression. Silence. Confusion. Deep sadness. It can leave lasting scars. Professionals working with immigrant families often ask: “How can I help this child? What do I say to the caregiver left behind? How do I even begin to make this okay?” Access our resource for professionals who work with families affected by deportation, detention and forced separation: https://bit.ly/4dZLgMf It’s trauma-informed, culturally-responsive and built for home visitors, caseworkers, therapists, early childhood educators, community leaders and others who are walking into these situations and trying to carry some of the weight.
Article by The New York Times here: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/14/us/trump-deportations-families.html
This is absolutely heartbreaking. No child should ever have to experience this.
Common Decency NOW!!!!
The trauma these children have experience they will need all the support.
Love ZERO TO THREE!
Yes. This sets the stage for chronic sorrow and anaclitic depression in the developing child. My hope is that any remaining family can hold up the bond in accordance with collective cultural response. If not, and he ends up in Child Welfare, may God protect him.
Safe Babies IECMH Clinical Manager at ZERO TO THREE
2dWhether in the context of immigration, child welfare, or early care and education... we must name and acknowledge that for little ones, experiencing changes in those they are forming attachment to is in and of itself a devopmental and relational trauma.