ICE Call Center Will Target Kids

The word ICE over a dollar bill background — ICE TARGETING KIDS

ICE’s new call center signals the sharpest escalation yet in the federal government’s push to track and remove unaccompanied migrant children, marking a turning point in Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

Story Snapshot

ICE plans a Nashville-based “National Call Center” to help law enforcement locate and remove unaccompanied migrant children.
The call center will process up to 7,000 calls daily and aims to be fully operational by June 2026.
The move aligns with the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement, including mass deportation initiatives.
Immigrant advocacy groups argue the plan endangers children and undermines federal protections.

ICE Launches Call Center for Tracking Migrant Children

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the establishment of a “National Call Center” in Nashville, Tennessee, designed to assist law enforcement in tracking unaccompanied migrant children for potential removal.

According to an official contracting document published by ICE, the agency identified an “immediate need” for the center, signaling heightened urgency in immigration enforcement. The facility is expected to field between 6,000 and 7,000 calls per day relating to the location of minors, with full operational capacity projected by June 2026.

The launch of this call center is part of a broader immigration crackdown by the Trump administration, which has revitalized efforts to locate and deport unaccompanied minors. This initiative follows recent directives from Immigration and Customs Enforcement that instructed agents to actively track down these children nationwide.

The Department of Homeland Security also offered a one-time resettlement stipend of $2,500 to encourage voluntary departure among unaccompanied minors, representing a new tactic to incentivize removals.

Trump Administration’s Immigration Enforcement Intensifies

President Trump’s second term has seen aggressive steps to reshape U.S. immigration policy, prioritizing mass deportation and comprehensive enforcement.

Federal agencies have received expanded powers and funding to identify and remove noncitizens, with ICE’s role growing substantially. The administration’s moves include expedited removal procedures, increased pressure on state and local law enforcement to cooperate, and stringent limits on humanitarian relief and asylum—a marked departure from prior policies favoring leniency or protection for minors and families.

In July 2025, Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” allocating an unprecedented $170 billion for immigration enforcement and detention. This funding quadruples ICE’s detention budget and explicitly permits family detention practices, including indefinite detention of children and families.

The administration has also sought to militarize border enforcement, expand expedited removal powers nationwide, and penalize states that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. These policies reflect a substantial shift toward more aggressive federal oversight and intervention.

Constitutional Concerns and Pushback from Advocacy Groups

Immigrant advocacy organizations have sharply criticized the call center plan and related policies, asserting that they erode federal protections for vulnerable children and undermine due process.

Leaders like Michael Lukens of the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights contend that the new measures will not safeguard minors, but instead make it easier for authorities to deport them.

These groups highlight the dismantling of longstanding programs intended to protect unaccompanied children and warn that the administration’s actions may violate judicial settlements such as the Flores Agreement, which limits government detention of minors.

Despite these concerns, administration officials argue that stricter enforcement is necessary to restore the rule of law and address the crisis at the border.

The call center’s rapid rollout and high call volume demonstrate the government’s commitment to swiftly locating and removing unaccompanied migrant children, addressing core frustrations among conservative voters over illegal immigration and government inaction under previous administrations.

The legal and constitutional implications of these policies remain contested, with ongoing court challenges and scrutiny from civil rights organizations. As the call center prepares to open, many Americans are closely watching the Trump administration’s next steps, aware that the balance between national security, family values, and constitutional rights is at stake.