Houston Matters

New Report Exposes Risk For Detained Children Separated From Their Parents

Children that are removed from their families and placed in institutional care are at greater risk of being trafficked, according to a new report from the State Department.

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Child at a Detention Center
A child at an ICE detention center.

A State Department report released Thursday warns that children removed from their families and placed in institutional care are at greater risk of being trafficked.

The report comes as the Trump administration faces an uproar over its policy toward migrants on the southern border, though the Associated Press reports the information covers events from April 1, 2017 through the end of March 2018. The Trump administration began enforcing the zero tolerance policy in May this year.

Dr. Rebecca Pfeffer is a criminal justice professor at the University of Houston-Downtown. In the audio above, she offers insight on the report.

John Moore/Getty Images

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