Pensacola, FL – June 13, 2025
Florida child welfare officials are facing backlash after they transferred a 17-year-old undocumented foster youth to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in what legal experts and child advocates are calling a stark deviation from decades of state policy protecting children, regardless of immigration status.
The teenager, identified only as Henry, a Honduran national, was removed in shackles from his foster home in Pensacola on Monday morning and placed directly into ICE custody. Henry had been living in the U.S. after being separated from his mother—who was later deported—and had entered Florida’s foster care system after being discovered living alone in a shed without food or income.
The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) facilitated his transfer, drawing immediate condemnation from immigration advocates, legal scholars, and lawmakers, who argue the action undermines trust in the child welfare system and may deter immigrant communities from reporting abuse or neglect.
Timeline and Background
Henry crossed the U.S.–Mexico border with his mother before they were separated. After traveling to Florida, he was found in dire living conditions in Pensacola, raising suspicions of labor trafficking, according to records reviewed by the Miami Herald. He was then placed into Florida’s foster care system.
DCF’s decision to contact immigration authorities appears to violate a 30-year-old internal rule that bars the agency from using a child’s immigration status against them. Legal experts said the rule was long established to prevent fear and coercion among immigrant children who need care.
“This isn’t just a case of failed oversight,” said Fran Allegra, former CEO of Miami-Dade’s private foster care agency. “If this is now policy, it’s dangerous. It sends the message to immigrant families that seeking help could get their child deported.”
Political and Legal Response
State Sen. Ileana Garcia (R-Miami), a co-founder of Latinas for Trump and once a vocal supporter of hardline immigration policies, expressed deep concern. “What really bothers me is that these are victims of human trafficking,” Garcia told the Herald. “You would think they would have more protections.”
Garcia said she had worked quietly to try to keep Henry in state care but was alarmed to learn ICE had picked him up from a foster home. She warned this may not be an isolated incident. “Somehow, they are collecting these records,” she added, referencing federal officers showing up at foster homes.
In a social media post, Garcia alleged that former Trump aide Stephen Miller was pressuring immigration officials to deport minors to meet internal quotas, calling it a “desperate attempt” that weaponized foster care records.
State and Federal Responses
Following inquiries by the Miami Herald, DCF issued a brief statement late Wednesday:
“The Florida Department of Children and Families may provide temporary care but must work with all partners to return the individual to the appropriate legal custody, which in this case was U.S. ORR [Office of Refugee Resettlement].”
ICE has not released an official comment but confirmed it is reviewing the case.
Immigration attorneys say the explanation doesn’t align with long-standing interagency practice. Typically, children detained at the border are transferred to ORR custody and placed with relatives or licensed shelters. In this case, Henry was detained by Escambia County authorities and placed under state care, outside the federal pipeline.
Critics say the Trump administration changed that dynamic. According to child welfare attorneys, ICE now accesses internal ORR databases and aggressively detains even those youth who had previously been released into local foster care. They also cite cuts to legal aid funding for undocumented minors, further disadvantaging vulnerable youth like Henry.
What’s Next for Henry?
Henry is currently held at the Pine Prairie ICE Processing Center in Louisiana, a known staging facility for deportations. His attorney says deportation is “imminent.” Advocates have not been able to confirm if Henry was given legal counsel prior to his transfer from Florida.
According to Ruby Robinson, Henry’s attorney, the teen was showing signs of progress in foster care and should be protected, not punished.
“He’s a minor. He’s a potential victim of trafficking. And he was doing everything right. Instead, he’s being treated like a criminal.”
Civic Implications
Legal experts warn that Henry’s case may set a dangerous precedent, undermining the public’s willingness to report child abuse or trafficking involving undocumented families.
“This could dismantle trust between immigrant communities and the child protection system,” said Melissa Taveras, an immigration rights advocate in Miami. “It tells families, ‘If you ask for help, we’ll deport your child.’ That’s not child welfare. That’s state-sponsored fear.”
