How to Talk to Children about Immigration and ICE

01.14.26

Tags:

conversations, ICE, immigration

Open and honest conversations with children about current events, immigration, and ICE presence matter. Children see and hear what’s happening around them, and they can sense the stress and anxiety of adults. School-age children are already aware of safety measures being taken at their schools. Many children are experiencing or witnessing family separation and deportation.

By encouraging open communication about tough topics, you’re being responsive and building trust with children as they learn that they can talk to you about real-world situations. For young children, this is a great foundation for communication in the teenage years, and for older children, it reinforces trust with the adults in their lives.

Talking about tough topics strengthens children’s agency by nurturing their ability to think, communicate, and problem-solve. This builds resilience. These conversations with children also give adults a chance to explain values and beliefs about belonging and dignity for all that are important to your family or school community.

Navigating conversations across ages

All Ages

Important considerations

Focus on safety and validation
Acknowledge feelings and help name them
Take media breaks → constant news/replays increase anxiety
Be honest → avoid creating false security
Respond with curiosity
Share picture books, and use them to guide conversations
Talk about what people are doing to help, and brainstorm age-appropriate ways you might help together.
Check in with your own body. Model mindfulness and strategies for regulation.

Things you might say

“You are not alone. Let’s look for the helpers.”
“It’s okay to feel scared, anxious, etc. Let’s talk about it together.”
“I’m glad you’re noticing what’s happening. How do you feel about it?”
“Where do you feel that emotion in your body?”
“What are you curious about?”
“Where could we look to find out more?”
“There are a lot of people trying to help. For example….”

Ages 3-6

Important considerations

Talk about fairness and unfairness
Begin to build emotional vocabulary and mind/body awareness
Remind them they are safe and loved
Keep routines and offer extra hugs
Be aware of stereotypes and show positive, counter-sterotypical examples of immigrants and a diverse representation of activists

Things you might say

“Sometimes families aren’t being treated nicely because of where they were born. That isn’t right.”
“Many people are using their voices and telling our leaders they think it’s wrong to treat people unfairly because of where they were born.”
“I’m glad you’re noticing what’s happening. How do you feel about it?”
“Where do you feel that emotion in your body?”

Ages 7-11

Important considerations

Explain the situation with straightforward facts
Let them ask questions and answer honestly and directly
Model taking a pause, breathing, and noticing
Remind them to only discuss this with trusted adults
Reinforce equity (rather than equality)
Model critical thinking when consuming media
Be aware of stereotypes and show positive, counter-sterotypical examples of immigrants and a diverse representation of activists

Things you might say

“Some families are being separated because of how they came here. That isn’t right.”
“People are protesting and using their voices to let our leaders know they don’t agree with how some families are being treated and separated.”
“Some federal agents whose job it is to separate people because of how they came here are making choices that hurt people and using violence. That isn’t right.”
“Who do you feel comfortable talking about this with?”
“Unfair rules and ways of doing things, in both the past and the present, have made life easier for some and harder for others.”
“What do you notice about what the news is saying?”
“What questions do you have?”

Ages 12-18

Important considerations

Be direct
Listen carefully
Empower them to take positive action and provide resources and support for their actions
Model taking a pause, breathing, and noticing
Encourage critical thinking when consuming media
Ask them to identify the source of their information and assess its credibility

Things you might say

“What are you finding isn’t fair about what’s happening to some people in our country right now because of where they are from?”
“What emotion is showing up for you right now?”
“Do you want to talk about what we can do?”
“How can I support you?”
“Wow! I need to take a deep breath and notice how this is feeling for me. Let’s do that together.”
“Who is present? Who is missing? What do you notice?” (about media coverage, leadership, and activists)

Adapted from the following resources:

“How to Talk to Kids About ICE” graphic. Early Risers Podcast, Instagram, 12 Jan. 2026.
Hawthorne, Britt. Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide, 2022.
EmbraceRace (2025). Ages & stages: A caregiver’s guide to supporting children’s racial learning.

For more resources, including book recommendations, videos, and discussion/activity guides, see our Immigration/Migration Resources for Educators.