“Unaccompanied Assault” was Territorial Empathy’s inaugural project—born from outrage and necessity during the Trump administration’s Family Separation policy. This work exposes the profound vulnerabilities of unaccompanied minor children, labeled “Unaccompanied Alien Children” (UAC) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: children who arrived at the U.S. border alone or were separated from their guardians under a policy of systematic cruelty.

In collaboration with data received by Representative Ted Deutch (FL), obtained through a FOIL request in 2016, we painstakingly analyzed the demographics of these children. But more urgently, we illuminated a risk that mainstream narratives too often obscure: the prevalence of sexual assault experienced by detained children. Our mapping and research confront the absence of departmental oversight and government transparency, transforming a “hidden” humanitarian crisis into undeniable evidence.

This project is not just data. It is a collective act of witnessing—a refusal to let bureaucratic violence erase the suffering of the most vulnerable. By surfacing and mapping these abuses, “Unaccompanied Assault” demands accountability, honors the resilience of children whose stories might otherwise remain untold, and calls for an end to practices that endanger, traumatize, and dehumanize.

Through this work, Territorial Empathy recommits to a design practice rooted in empathy, radical honesty, and action. We hold space for grief, rage, and responsibility—insisting that design can, and must, expose injustice and catalyze change.ybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.