ISTANBUL

The Trump administration has instructed immigration officials to deport unaccompanied migrant children or force them to face immigration courts, local media reported, based on sources familiar with the matter.

An internal document from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on "unaccompanied alien children" focuses on preventing children from falling victim to human trafficking and exploitation, ABC News reported.

ICE created a plan with four phases of implementation, categorizing minors into three groups: flight risk, public safety, and border security. Officials were directed to focus on minors considered flight risks, especially those who had deportation orders due to missed court appearances.

On Feb. 19, the Trump administration ordered legal service providers assisting unaccompanied migrant children to cease operations.

Trump’s immigration policies also include removing the CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) One app, which allowed migrants to apply for legal entry into the US, granting ICE arrest authority near sensitive locations, passing the Laken Riley Act to detain migrants without court orders, and preparing a Guantanamo Bay facility for up to 30,000 migrants.

In his campaign to win back the presidency last year, US President Donald Trump promised a crackdown on immigrants, especially ones in the country illegally.