Six-year-old faces immigration court alone; rally draws support in Seattle

On Feb. 13, advocates gathered at the federal building in downtown Seattle as Victoria, a local 6-year-old, faced an immigration court hearing alone that advocates said might separate her from her parents.

Supporters arrived before the hearing and filled the plaza outside the courthouse. Before she entered the building, supporters surrounded her by dancing with her to her favorite song and offering encouragement.

Speakers said she should be in school, learning, and playing, rather than navigating court proceedings.

After Victoria entered the building, representatives from migrant advocacy groups addressed the crowd. As the hearing continued inside, supporters remained outside listening to speeches and waiting for her to return.

When Victoria exited the building, the crowd gathered to greet her. Organizers said her case would be attached to her mother’s. They said they would continue pushing to consolidate the family’s cases.

Legal context and family concerns

Organizers said the case reflects broader concerns about children appearing in immigration court. Immigration proceedings are civil, not criminal, meaning individuals are not guaranteed court-appointed attorneys.

In 2025, the Trump administration moved to eliminate federal funding for legal representation programs for unaccompanied immigrant minors, organizers said. At a previous hearing in November, advocates said more than 10 children faced similar proceedings.

Advocates argued the immigration system puts families at risk of separation and called on courts to stop what they described as putting children “on trial.” They also said increased federal funding and the expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, have heightened fear among migrant families navigating court proceedings. Victoria’s parents were nervous about appearing in court but did not want her to face the process alone.

“No woman should be forced to leave her children to survive,” one speaker said at the rally, referring to the strain immigration enforcement places on families.

Interview: Community organizing and youth involvement

In an interview after the rally, Kasandra Seda of Capybara Colectiva, a member of the International Migrants Alliance, described the alliance as a migrant-led network founded in 2008 by domestic workers in Hong Kong.

“Being forced to migrate isn’t my own lived experience, but it is my parents’ experience, and it is the lived experience of many in our community,” Seda said. “If my parents were going through this, I would want people to expose what’s happening. I would want someone to be there for them. That’s why I am here today with Victoria.”

Seda said many members of her organization are migrants or the children of migrants. When asked what she wanted Seattle students to know, she emphasized the importance of youth involvement.

“If you are ready to organize and mobilize, we are ready to do the same alongside you,” she said. “There is space in this movement. We have Seattle youth and university students involved.”