Experts stunned by Trump’s ‘unprecedented’ plan to deport hundreds of unaccompanied kids

A CNN reporter said experts are stunned by an "unprecedented" Trump administration move to take steps to send hundreds of Guatemalan children back to their home country after they arrived in the United States alone.

CNN correspondent Priscilla Alvarez joined "News Central" and told co-host Brianna Keilar that it's an "unprecedented move."

"Every expert official that I've talked to can't recall ever seeing something like this — which is the U.S. government working in coordination with the Guatemalan government to send back hundreds of children that are in U.S. government custody," Alvarez said.

She noted that the "reason that this is so unprecedented and unheard of" is that U.S. law provides numerous protections for children who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border alone, meaning they don't have a parent or legal guardian. They are then placed into the care of the Health and Human Services Department. Officials then try to find a family sponsor in the United States, such as a parent, sister, aunt, or relative. Once the child is placed, they typically then learn if they have legal protections in immigration proceedings.

The Trump administration seeks to upend that for hundreds of children.

"So here's where things get different. This is a plan by the administration to send back more than 600 children that they have identified — that are in government custody — to Guatemala. They are expected to not have a parent in the United States and some family in Guatemala," said Alvarez.

While supporters of the plan may say the children are being returned to a parent, Alvarez notes that in many cases, the children are fleeing "bad conditions at home" — sometimes because of a parent.

"That could be because of a parent — those they are fleeing their family there — or it could be because their family can't protect them from what is happening in-country," she said. "It is no small thing for a child to come to the U.S. southern border on their own. And we are talking here about a range of ages from 0 to 17."

Trump's administration is internally calling the deportations "repatriations," meaning they're not involuntary removals. However, advocates have said the children likely don't understand what is actually happening for them to be returned.

Watch the clip below or at this link.