Ice seeking out unaccompanied immigrant children to deport or prosecute

Moves sparking fears of a crackdown on such children and prompting alarm about backdoor family separation'

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officials are seeking out unaccompanied immigrant children in operations nationwide with a view to deporting them or pursuing criminal cases against them or adult sponsors sheltering them legally in the US, according to sources and an Ice document.

The moves are sparking fears of a crackdown on such children and prompting alarm about what one critic called backdoor family separation".