Protecting Children Should Be Supported by All; Sadly, It Is Not

In November 2025, the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched the Unaccompanied Alien Children Safety Verification Initiative in partnership with state and local law enforcement.

The SVI represents one of the most significant humanitarian efforts undertaken by the Trump administration and DHS in recent years. Developed in partnership with state and local law enforcement through the long-established 287(g) program, SVI seeks to locate unaccompanied minor children who were released to sponsors and ensure their safety. Its mission is remarkably straightforward: to conduct welfare checks on alien children who arrived at the border unaccompanied and were later released into the United States, verifying that they are not being exploited by traffickers, abusive sponsors, or criminal organizations.

The SVI program recognizes that safeguarding child welfare, although a continuing obligation of the federal government, cannot be accomplished alone. Through the 287(g) partnership, trained state and local law enforcement officers, who bring critical knowledge of their communities, support these efforts by verifying addresses, identifying indicators of abuse or trafficking, and ensuring that children in need of intervention are protected.