Inside a Minnesota home, love and laughter fill every room, even as the world outside feels uncertain.

Jissica sits at the children's table playing with 2-year-old Scarlett, who is scared of everybody but her.

"Nothing is going to happen to you. I will make sure," Jissica says. 

Those words are calming for Scarlett, but the reality is anything but. She is too young to understand why she hasn't seen her mother in four days and her father in three weeks. Both were taken by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

As federal immigration enforcement continues in the state, she is now among the children being separated from their parents.

"The government is separating families, and they don't care how we feel," Jissica said. 

Before her parents were detained, they signed a Delegation of Parental Authority form, naming Jissica as the person who would step in if the worst happened. 

The form gives Jissica the legal right to take her to the doctor, daycare or even to school, and the ability to make decisions.

Jissica said she didn't hesitate when she was asked the form and was grateful that she could help. Her worst fear was that Scarlett would end up in the foster care system. 

Advocates like Viviana Salazar with Nuestra Lucha MN have been helping families complete DOPA forms since early last year. 

"I don't think anybody could have predicted it was going to be this bad," Salazar said. 

She says it's a powerful and proactive measure to take so children are not left scared and confused. 

"We have to make sure these children know what to do," Salazar said. 

For Scarlett, Jissica's home has become a haven where she's found comfort and love, all thanks to a powerful piece of paperwork. 

For more information about DOPA forms and resources, click here.