ICE is using migrant kids as ‘bait,’ a Texas lawyer says

Attorney Alexa Sendukas represents many unaccompanied children in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and tries to reunite them with relatives in the U.S. She has started to see a startling tactic: Federal agencies are using the children to trap and detain the adults who come to detention centers to pick the kids up. It’s left many families scrambling and trying to figure out when they’ll see each other again. In Episode 46, you’ll hear from Alexa Sendukas, a managing attorney with the Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project. She has represented many detained adults and children in their immigration cases.   You’ll also get a weekly news wrap-up from Evening Wrap newsletter writer Danielle Gaines and Daybreak newsletter writer Madyson Fitzgerald. They’ve got you covered on the latest about: local officials in Louisiana signing NDAs, how states are using their national opioid settlement funds and how school boards are dealing with declining school enrollment.  Episode produced and edited by Mallory Cheng. Music for Stories From The States composed by David Singer.  Click here for the full transcript. Relevant reading from States Newsroom outlets and partners:  ICE is arresting relatives who come forward to take custody of migrant children in federal shelters (Texas Tribune) ‘There will be another family’: Newberg family scrutinizes feds over father’s detention (Oregon Capital Chronicle) Lacking federal funds, local groups press to continue legal aid for immigrant children (Maryland Matter) Doctors say children of immigrants are missing healthcare (Stateline) Got questions? An episode idea? Email us at [email protected] Photo: A masked, armed agent outside Ocean Seafood Depot during an immigration raid, Newark, NJ, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. (Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso/New Jersey Monitor)