Federal Court Protects Immigrant Teens From Automatic Transfer to Adult Detention
On December 12, 2025, a federal court in Washington, D.C. blocked an ICE policy that would have automatically moved unaccompanied immigrant teens into adult detention facilities the moment they turned 18. The ruling orders ICE to continue following an existing court order that protects immigrant youth. This decision directly affects unaccompanied minors — children who arrived in the U.S. without a parent or guardian — who are close to turning 18.