YA Books About ICE, Deportation and Immigration in the United States (Part 1)

Welcome back! This resource series focuses on ICE and deportations in the United States. Painful experiences with ICE, immigration, seeking refuge, and deportation in the United States can impact people at any age, including children. The books below bring a human element to stories about immigration, dealing with the pain of deportation, and the loss of safe harbor, all written at a level that is accessible to children. You can also find resources, support, and information about your rights when dealing with ICE or other immigration officials in the links under this paragraph.

Resources Related to ICE and Deportation

• Know Your Rights with ICE - Immigrant Defense Project
• Conozca Sus Derechos con ICE - Immigrant Defense Project
• Know Your Rights with ICE - Immigrant Defense Project
• Know Your Rights: If You Encounter ICE - National Immigrant Justice Center
• Resources for Individuals and Nonprofits Approached by ICE - Native American Rights Fund
• Essential Resources for Immigrants' Rights and Safety
• Rapid Response Toolkit - Legal Aid Justice Center
• ICE Resistance Resources | PIC
• Resources for Immigrants Facing Detention — Freedom for Immigrants
• We Have Rights | American Civil Liberties Union
• Know Your Rights | Immigrant Legal Resource Center | ILRC

Image Description: A man's hand reaches out to touch a collection of hardcover books, tightly packed on a shelf.

Credit: Lucas Pezeta / Pexels

Young Adult Books that Feature ICE, Deportation, and Immigration

• American Street by Ibi Zoboi (magical realism)
• Everything Sad Is Untrue: (A True Story) by Daniel Nayeri
• The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
• Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place by Neema Avashia
• Americanized: Rebel without a Green Card by Sara Saedi (memoir)
• The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
• Internment by Samira Ahmed
• Boundless: Twenty Voices Celebrating Multicultural and Multiracial Identities edited by Ismée Williams and Rebecca Balcárcel
• Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed
• Ink Knows No Borders: Poems of the Immigrant and Refugee Experience edited by Alyssa Raymond and Patrice Vecchione

Sources

• 21 Must-Read Books About Immigration | 2025 Update
• Which Powerful YA Books about Immigration Should You Read Next? — Khristina Chess
• Eight Recommended YA Books That Celebrate Immigrants | Facing History & Ourselves
• 7 Great YA Books About Immigration, Immigrant Camps, and More
• 60 Best Children's Immigration Books About Immigration, Migration, & Refugees - Imagination Soup