Conference Abstract The conference focuses on immigrant families and unaccompanied children (UAC) from the Northern Triangle Countries of Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) who have come to the United States. Many family units arrive at the border and enter into government custody. Immigrant families with minor children and UACs are processed through a system that may include residential centers operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Office of Refugee Resettlement. Very little research has been conducted on the experiences and effects of migration and detention on the psychosocial wellbeing of children and families. Extant science lags, leaving questions such as, what are the psychological and developmental impacts of migration and asking for asylum. How and to what extend can researchers distinguish pre-migration, migration, and post-migration effects on children's development? What is the state of research on the health and wellbeing of immigrant children, and, perhaps more importantly, where should we direct our scientific efforts and resources? What solutions have researchers found to the logistical, methodological and ethical challenges in conducting research with this highly vulnerable population? How can we advance research to answer myriad questions to inform public health services and social policy? Convening researchers in immigration, child development, family relations, health, and mental health to discuss findings, challenges, and opportunities for studying children and families who have been held in immigration detention will go a long way to identifying answers and solutions.