Birmingham, Alabama — Federal immigration enforcement in Alabama has increasingly swept up minors, according to newly released data showing a sharp rise in children arrested and detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under President Donald Trump’s expanded immigration crackdown.
Government records obtained through a FOIA request and analyzed by AL.com show that ICE detained nearly 70 children in Alabama between September 2023 and September 2025. In 2025 alone, the agency detained an average of four children per month, up from 1.8 per month in 2024 and 2.3 per month in 2023. The year ending in September 2025 saw a 120% increase in child detentions compared with the prior year.
The youngest child detained during the period was about two years old, a boy from Mexico arrested in November 2023. Most detainees were 17 or 18 years old, though data show ICE also detained at least 16 children aged 15 or younger, including a 13- or 14-year-old boy held at the Jefferson County Jail in August. None of the detained children were convicted of crimes, though most had pending charges or immigration-related violations.
Advocates warn that detention can cause lasting harm. “Secure or medium secure facilities for prolonged periods of time are really harmful, particularly for adolescent development,” said Becky Wolozin of the National Center for Youth Law. Community organizers also report cases in which parents were detained, leaving children in unstable or unsafe situations.
ICE did not respond to requests for comment.
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