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Why children often face deportation hearings alone

The John Fitzgerald Kennedy Federal Building in Boston, which houses one of the two immigration courts in Massachusetts. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
Jesse Costa/WBUR
The John Fitzgerald Kennedy Federal Building in Boston, which houses one of the two immigration courts in Massachusetts. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Hundreds of thousands of immigrant children across the country have been showing up to deportation hearings alone.

In Massachusetts, most of the hearings happen behind closed doors, and it’s unclear how the legal proceedings play out.

WBUR’s Rachell Sanchez-Smith reports.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

Rachell Sanchez-Smith