After her husband was detained by US immigration authorities in September, Rosa found herself alone with her two children, wondering what would happen should she suffer the same fate as him.”I go out to work less and less, and I’m afraid that I won’t come home to my children,” Rosa told AFP. “It’s not easy to explain this to them. My son waits for his dad to come home, and when he doesn’t, he gets sad.”To avoid the possibility of her children being abandoned, the 32-year-old Guatemalan immigrant decided to grant legal guardianship of her kids to an activist, Nora Sandigo, who runs a foundation overseeing the custody of migrant children in Miami.        A growing number of undocumented migrants are granting legal guardianship of their children to entrusted allies in the United States.The move gives the adult the power of attorney to sign documents for minors in schools, hospitals and courtrooms even if their parents are detained — without the migrants giving up custody of their children.The trend coincides with President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration, with official data published this month showing more than 605,000 undocumented migrants have been deported from the United States since his return to the White House in January.In Florida, host to a large undocumented population, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have increased arrests, detaining immigrants who often work in agriculture, hospitality or construction.Rosa’s husband, for instance, was working at a construction site when he was detained by ICE and transported to a detention facility in Texas, where he remains.The couple hails from the northwest department of Huehuetenango in Guatemala, settling in Florida eight years ago for a chance at a better life.The pair came with a daughter, now 11 years old, and had a son four years ago.- ‘Horrifying’ -The couple now joins hundreds of other families who have entrusted Sandigo with legal guardianship.Born in Nicaragua and now a naturalized US citizen, Sandigo began taking in children from migrant families 15 years ago through her foundation, based in Miami.She is currently the legal guardian of almost 350 minors born in the US and 137 children born outside of the country, and has been the guardian of more than 2,000 kids over the course of her career.She and her two daughters have even lived with some of the children, some for months or years, after their parents were deported.The 60-year-old told AFP she receives calls every day from parents asking her to become their children’s legal guardian — and that number “has grown spectacularly” in recent months.”The new administration’s arrival with a terrifying message of persecution for immigrants, causing great distress for children, has been horrifying,” she said.The night before Thanksgiving this year, she welcomed several families to her home on the outskirts of Miami.Among them was Jessica, a 14-year-old US-born child of immigrants who has been brought under Sandigo’s wing.She told AFP that having undocumented parents and the uncertainty around it “makes me feel afraid” and sad.”My biggest worry is that they will leave, and with them my future. Because if they leave, I’m going with them,” she said with tears in her eyes.Sandigo tries to comfort her, but she knows that the immigration crackdown is causing psychological trauma to Jessica’s generation.”I love kids and I want to be useful, to be able to help them, but not under these circumstances,” she said.

President Donald Trump signed a sweeping defense policy bill into law Thursday that signaled strong bipartisan support for Europe and defied the US leader’s increasingly hostile posture toward NATO and America’s closest allies.The annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), one the few remaining rituals of cross-party cooperation in Congress even as divisions sharpen elsewhere in Washington, sets out the country’s national security and foreign policy priority areas for the coming year, according to lawmakers.White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Trump signed into law a measure which raises pay for US troops, codifies the country’s “PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH agenda,” and “funds the Golden Dome” air and missile defense system backed by Trump. The NDAA, at some $900 billion, also “removes woke priorities” like diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs opposed by many conservatives, and “requires promotions based on merit, not DEI,” Kelly added. The Senate easily passed the NDAA measure on Wednesday following the House’s green light last week. The success comes amid unease in European capitals over Trump’s rhetoric, especially after the recent White House national security strategy painted Europe as over-regulated, culturally adrift and insufficiently committed to its own defense.The strategy questioned the continent’s strategic value and openly echoed themes championed by far-right parties, fueling fears of a widening transatlantic rift.By contrast, the NDAA reflects lawmakers’ determination to anchor the United States firmly in Europe.The bill bars US troop levels on the continent from falling below 76,000 for more than 45 days and restricts the removal of major military equipment, effectively tying the administration’s hands on any rapid drawdown.It also boosts resources for frontline NATO states, particularly in the Baltic region, reinforcing the alliance’s northeastern flank.The measure authorizes roughly $8 billion more than the administration requested, a signal of congressional assertiveness on defense priorities.Beyond Europe, the NDAA locks in $400 million in security assistance for Ukraine, aiming to preserve a baseline of support even as broader funding debates grind on, and places new limits on any reduction of the 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea.As ever, the NDAA drew fire from multiple directions — from conservative critics of Ukraine aid to safety experts warning about aviation provisions rolling back critical air-safety requirements for military aircraft operating in Washington’s restricted airspace.But none came close to derailing a package long seen as must-pass legislation.

An official appointed by incoming New York mayor Zohran Mamdani to a senior role in his transition team resigned one day later on Thursday after past antisemitic posts on social media emerged, US media reported.The Muslim mayor-elect faced repeated accusations of antisemitism during the mayoral campaign over his strident support for the Palestinian cause and conservative figures have vowed to closely scrutinize his administration when he takes office on January 1.Catherine Almonte Da Costa, Mamdani’s “head of appointments” stepped down after antisemitic statements in old Twitter posts form 2011 surfaced, NBC News reported. The posts were uncovered by The Judge Street Journal newsletter.She had appeared alongside Mamdani at a press event on Wednesday following her appointment.”I spoke with the Mayor-elect this afternoon, apologized, and expressed my deep regret for my past statements. These statements are not indicative of who I am,” Da Costa told the online outlet.”As the mother of Jewish children, I feel a profound sense of sadness and remorse at the harm these words have caused. As this has become a distraction from the work at hand, I have offered my resignation.””Money hungry Jews smh (shaking my head),” Da Costa allegedly posted on X on January 4, 2011. The account, which had been used to post several other antisemitic tropes, is no longer online.Mamdani’s transition team did not comment.