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“ Deportation Cases Alone Migrant children, some as young as 2 or 3 years old, are appearing before immigration judges in Harlingen, Texas without attorneys, facing deportation proceedings they’re too young to understand. CNN witnessed 25 children lining the courtroom pews Monday, including a 6-year-old pretending to fly an airplane and a 3-year-old named Mateo who tested the microphone and drew laughter, prompting the judge to warn a teen girl that “these proceedings” could “determine whether you remain in the country or are removed.” Among the first to appear was 13-year-old Honduran boy Angel, who had no attorney and told the judge “my mom and almost my entire family are here, it’s too dangerous to go back,” only to be told he didn’t qualify for asylum. Asked whether he wanted voluntary departure or a removal order, Angel said “I don’t know” before bursting into tears and telling the judge “I have no one, I have nothing,” who responded “I understand, but based on your answers, US immigration laws are very strict” and gave him until the end of the month to appeal. One advocate who works with unaccompanied children told CNN, “I’ve never witnessed so many removals and to see it happen with children who are standing there completely alone,” adding that even 4-year-olds “don’t know where they are and what’s going on” beyond understanding they’re talking to a judge. As of August, there was an average of 1,883 migrant children in HHS custody nationwide, according to federal data”. From Aaron Parnas newsletter