ICE is pushing to deport an Anchorage 12-year-old citizen, all because he doesn’t have a paternity test 

The Trump administration is pushing to deport a 12-year-old boy living in Anchorage, Alaska, all because a DNA test has not been provided to prove his American citizenship. This case, per Newsweek, highlights the growing complexities surrounding citizenship status in the United States. 

The boy was born to a Nigerian mother and a father who served in the U.S. military. Despite having significant evidence of this relationship, the government is currently moving forward with removal proceedings.

Margaret Stock, an attorney with the Cascadia Cross Border Law Group, is representing the boy. “The child can’t establish he’s a citizen, and right now, the government’s trying to deport him,” Stock explained. She noted that while he hasn’t been placed in a detention center yet, the threat of deportation is very real and requires immediate action to prove his legal status.

There are so many things wrong with this

The situation is complicated by the boy’s father, 46-year-old Bolanle Meshach Akinleye, who is a naturalized U.S. citizen. According to the legal team, he has refused to undergo a DNA test, which has led U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to demand further proof of the father-son link. 

Stock mentioned that she has often seen such requests in military-related cases, as authorities seem skeptical that U.S. military parents are fathering children overseas. She stated, “For some reason, they don’t think this is a likely scenario.”

The defense team has gathered substantial evidence to support the claim of citizenship, including numerous photos and videos of the father and son together. This evidence includes a video recording of the father wishing his son a happy birthday. Stock believes that the refusal to take the DNA test might be tied to a past relationship between the parents, potentially serving as a way to retaliate against the mother.

The Department of Homeland Security spokesperson indicated that the boy and his mother are currently considered to be in the country illegally. They stated that no evidence of U.S. citizenship for either parent has been provided and that the application for citizenship was denied. The department noted that the pair has a scheduled court date and will receive full due process.

This case is unfolding against a much larger national backdrop regarding the future of birthright citizenship. According to NPR, the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing arguments in April 2026 concerning a challenge to the constitutional provision that has long guaranteed citizenship to children born on U.S. soil. However, his own justices seemed skeptical of the administration’s arguments, causing Trump to storm away.

This legal battle stems from an executive order issued by President Trump on the first day of his second term. It sought to bar automatic citizenship for babies born in the U.S. to parents who entered the country illegally or were present on temporary visas.

The eventual implications of the Supreme Court’s potential ruling are massive. Stock has a rather dire opinion, “So, if Trump is successful at the U.S. Supreme Court in overturning the 14th Amendment, we’re going to see a lot more cases like this. In fact, we’ll see hundreds of thousands of cases like this.” She emphasized that many individuals would then be forced to obtain DNA proof from biological fathers to secure their citizenship status.

For now, the boy and his mother are navigating the legal system. A Department of Justice case tracker shows that the next immigration hearing for the boy is set for January 2027, while his mother has a separate asylum case currently pending. 

The Department of Homeland Security has suggested that the family consider self-deportation through the CBP Home app, offering a $2,600 payment and a flight to leave the country. The agency stated that those who do not take this offer risk being arrested and deported without the possibility of returning.

The intersection of personal family dynamics and federal immigration policy is creating an incredibly stressful situation for this family. As the Supreme Court continues to weigh the constitutionality of the administration’s broader goals, cases like this one in Alaska serve as a stark reminder of how quickly legal definitions can impact the lives of minors. 

With the next hearing months away, the family remains in a state of uncertainty, waiting for a resolution that could determine their future in the country.