A recent policy change at Baltimore City Circuit Court could lead to the separation of children from their parents or guardians, according to several immigrant advocates.

Judge Audrey J.S. Carrión, the court’s administrative judge, last month ordered that some types of hearings about the custody of children seeking permanent legal status take place in person, rather than virtually. Some advocates worry that the change could make the children and the adults in their lives easier targets for detention and deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Carrión’s June 30 order came a week after the nation’s chief immigration enforcement official, Todd Lyons, sent a memo directing agents to expand immigration enforcement at and near courthouses, highlighting “non-criminal proceedings.”

Immigration attorney Alexa Siegel said the combination of required in-person hearings and a recent ICE arrest at the Baltimore courthouse has clients “terrified.”

“I’d always tell my clients, ‘We’re going to state courts. They want to help you. They don’t care about your immigration status,’” Siegel said. “Now it’s very hard because I can’t make any assurances.”

Maryland Judiciary spokesperson Terri Charles said in an email that the policy change was not done at ICE’s request, saying that the “goal is to do the hearings in person for the children’s wellbeing.”

The change applies to cases for those under Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, a federal designation for immigrant children who have been abandoned, abused or neglected by a parent. Before gaining the status, the children must first secure a custody order, typically putting the child in the care of the non-abusing parent or another relative. It’s a unique immigration process that requires a state court’s involvement.

The special juvenile status was created decades ago as a temporary stepping stone to permanent residency through a so-called green card, but an increase in applications of children from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras in recent years has created a years-long backlog for their applications.

“The hearings are conducted in person to ensure a full and fair assessment of the credibility, demeanor, and overall wellbeing of the children and of the parties seeking custody or guardianship of the children,” Charles said. “Additionally, these cases involve highly sensitive matters, including abuse, neglect, physical violence, or abandonment, which require careful and nuanced evaluation by the court.”

Baltimore’s in-person change mirrors policies in Anne Arundel, Charles and Harford counties.

Attorneys can still ask the court in many counties to conduct such proceedings virtually. In Baltimore, Howard and Prince George’s counties, that’s still an option, according to lawyers working such cases. But following Carrión’s order, such motions have largely been denied in city Circuit Court, the lawyers said.

One such motion filed in Baltimore said an undocumented parent and children were “vulnerable to adverse immigration actions” by ICE at or near the courthouse because members of the family had been ordered removed from the country.

“To protect Plaintiff and Minor Children from adverse immigration actions, it is requested that they be allowed to appear at their future hearing either by telephone or video conference,” the motion read.

It was denied.

Immigration attorney Juan Carlos Silén, who handles juvenile immigration cases, fears this may deter families from seeking relief even if a child qualifies for protection under the special status.

“A return to virtual hearings would benefit all parties and offer the immigrant community in Baltimore some much-needed peace of mind,” Silén said.

Last week, a Maryland corrections employee invited ICE agents into the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. Courthouse in downtown, according to the Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office, which runs security at the two Circuit Court buildings. The federal agents then detained a person who was attending a routine pretrial appointment, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office and state Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services are investigating that employee for potentially breaching corrections department protocols and misusing information for actions outside of official duties.

Immigrant advocacy groups and Democratic elected officials voiced concerns about local law enforcement cooperating with ICE following the courthouse arrest, saying that any such collaboration around courts would deter residents from participating in the judicial system.

After the incident, Carrión issued another order requiring law enforcement officers to check in at the courthouse and clearly display their badges.

ICE has been ramping up enforcement nationally, with reports showing agents arresting individuals following their hearings before immigration judges or during “check-ins,” in which an individual is required to touch base with ICE while they await a court date or resolution of their case.

A spokesperson for ICE could not immediately be reached for comment.