As outlined in a KIND policy brief earlier this year, the Trump Administration’s enforcement efforts increasingly center the fear and devastation of family separation as a strategy to drive deportations and reduce immigration of children and families. The Administration’s policies and actions are tearing families apart in new and expanding ways, directing government agencies, resources, and personnel to exploit, rather than mitigate, children’s vulnerabilities.
But states are taking action to confront this growing crisis – including Washington State.
Its Family Separation Rapid Response Team, created in early 2025, brought together state officials and a group of key nonprofit partners – including Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) – whose expertise and advocacy helped ensure that the state’s response reflected the real needs of immigrant children and families. The Team released a report earlier this year that underscores the importance of cross-system coordination, proactive planning, and community-informed policymaking to address the trauma experienced by children when parents or caregivers are detained or deported.
KIND’s Role: Bringing Frontline Expertise to Policy
KIND served as a member of the report’s Community Partners Committee, a group of leading immigrant-serving organizations tasked with grounding the Rapid Response Team’s efforts in real-world experience. Through this role, KIND participated in ongoing discussions with state agencies and other stakeholders, offering insights into how immigration enforcement affects children—especially those navigating the legal system or facing separation from caregivers.
This partnership model was intentional. The Rapid Response Team recognized that effective policy could not be developed in isolation; it required input from organizations working directly with impacted communities. KIND and its peers provided practical, experience-based feedback on what families encounter in moments of crisis and what supports are accessible or missing.
Shaping Practical Solutions and Resources
Beyond advisory input, KIND contributed to the development of actionable tools and resources produced by the Rapid Response Team. The report emphasizes that community partners “provided ongoing collaboration to build the actionable resources recommended” in the initiative.
These resources include:
- Family preparedness guidance, helping caregivers plan for potential separation
- FAQs and provider tools to support service organizations and schools
- Guidance for education systems, ensuring continuity for affected children
KIND’s involvement helped ensure that these materials were not only legally and technically sound, but also understandable and usable by families under stress.
Elevating Children’s Needs in Immigration Policy
A key contribution from KIND’s perspective was keeping children at the center of policy discussions. The Rapid Response Team’s mission focused on mitigating “harm, trauma, and lasting effects” on children experiencing separation due to immigration enforcement.
KIND’s work nationally—providing legal representation and advocacy for unaccompanied and separated children—positions the organization to highlight the unique vulnerabilities of youth in these situations. Within the Washington process, this translated into:
- Emphasizing trauma-informed approaches
- Advocating for privacy protections for children and families
- Ensuring policies did not inadvertently create additional risk
This child-centered lens helped shape recommendations that extend beyond immigration policy into child welfare, education, and public systems more broadly.
Key Takeaways from the Report
The final report offers several important insights that reflect the contributions of KIND and other community partners:
- Family separation is a cross-system issue.
The report makes clear that no single agency can address the impacts of immigration enforcement alone. Schools, child welfare systems, and community organizations must work together tomaintain stability for children. - Preparation is essential.
One of the most practical takeaways is the importance ofadvance planning. Families, providers, and institutions should be equipped with clear guidance before a crisis occurs, reducing confusion and disruption when separation happens. Both social and legal services access early are crucial to preparation. - Community voice improves policy.
The inclusion of partners like KIND ensured that recommendations weregrounded in lived experience. This collaboration helped translate high-level policy ideas into realistic, implementable solutions. - Privacy and trust matter.
The report highlights concerns about data sharing and the need to minimize unnecessary collection of personal information—an issue that directly affects immigrant families’ willingness to seek help. - Continued coordination is needed.
The transition to a newImmigration Subcabinet, which helps coordinate efforts across state agencies on immigration, disability, and LGBTQ+ issues, signals that this work is ongoing. Sustained collaboration between government and community partners will be critical to building on these efforts.
Looking Ahead
The Family Separation Rapid Response Team represents an important model for how states can respond to complex, federal-driven challenges. By engaging trusted community organizations like KIND, Washington has taken a meaningful step toward building systems that are more responsive, humane, and effective.
For KIND, this effort reflects a broader commitment: ensuring that every child—regardless of immigration status—has access to safety, stability, and due process. The lessons from this report reinforce that when policymakers and practitioners work together, it is possible to create solutions that truly center children and support families facing some of their most difficult moments.
