ICE moves to deport 12-year-old and his mother over missing DNA test

The Trump administration is pushing to deport a 12-year-old boy living in Anchorage, Alaska, for lack of a DNA test proving his American Citizenship.

According to reporting by Newsweek, both the child and his mother were placed in removal proceedings. The child’s father, following legal advice, is refusing to comply with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ demand for a DNA test.

The attorney representing the child, Margaret Stock, said hundreds of cases like this will surge if President Donald Trump succeeds in overturning the 14th Amendment, something legal experts have said is unlikely.

“He's not in detention yet. They haven't come and grabbed him and put him in a detention center, but they've got him in deportation proceedings,” explained Stock, “So, it's really important for him to prove his citizenship in order to stop them from deporting him.”

Bolanle Meshach Akinleye, 46, the child’s father, is a naturalized American citizen, according to local Alaskan media, Newsweek reports. His mother lives in Lagos, Nigeria.

The child, who will remain anonymous due to his age, was born in Turkey while Akinleye was serving in the U.S. military. He and his Nigerian mother later arrived in the U.S. on a visitor visa, Newsweek reports.

Despite substantial evidence proving the father-son link, including what Stock said are "massive numbers of photos and videos of the two of them,” without a DNA test, the Trump administration will proceed with deportation.

According to the Department of Justice case tracker, the child is set to face an immigration hearing in January 2027, while his mother’s asylum application is pending.

“I've often seen [USCIS] ask for DNA in military cases because they are often skeptical that U.S. military parents are fathering children overseas,” Stock told Newsweek, “For some reason, they don't think this is a likely scenario.”

They added, "Parents can take control of their departure with the CBP Home app and reserve the chance to come back the right legal way. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”