Racialized unaccompanied minors: African children in United States immigration detention

Abstract Border policing and enforcement produce “spectacles” foregrounding the “illegality” of migrants of all ages. These practices reinforce policies that racialize meanings of citizenship. The United States government’s detention of unaccompanied migrant children qualifies as one such “spectacle,” yet little research has examined the disparate treatment children receive based on their region of origin. We use a complete census of all unaccompanied migrant children admitted into Office of Refugee Resettlement custody between October 1, 2014, and March 1, 2023, to compare the experiences of 794 African unaccompanied children with those of their non-African peers. Our results suggest that US government detention of unaccompanied migrant children reflects racialized notions of citizenship and belonging. Children from African countries experienced greater suspicion, surveillance, and punishment compared to non-African children. They spent far longer in ORR custody, in more restrictive settings, and were more likely to lose the protections afforded children as they aged out or underwent an age redetermination. At the same time, African children experienced the positive outcome of immigration relief while in ORR custody at a rate far exceeding other children. These comparative findings make visible for the first time the unique experiences of unaccompanied African children in US immigration detention, experiences that enable further racialization of citizenship inequalities.