Donald Trump hasn’t even been sworn in as 47ᵉ President of the United States yet, and immigration agents are already beginning to implement his campaign promise to deport US citizen children born to undocumented parents.
On December 11 ICE agents proceeded to deport a Mexican mother and her four children, including newborn twins who are US citizens.
The situation arose as a result of the parents’ miscarriage of justice, according to The Guardian. A striking case that has drawn attention to the procedural shortcomings of the U.S. immigration system.
The young Mexican mother and her four children, including newborn twins who are US citizens, were deported from Houston, Texas, to Reynosa, Mexico, on December 11.
The deportation took place despite the family’s claims that they had attempted to comply with immigration procedures.
Christina Salazar, 23, was recovering from an emergency C-section when her family missed a scheduled immigration court hearing on October 9, according to her husband, Federico Arellano Jr.
Mr. Arellano, a U.S. citizen, told The Guardian that he and his wife Salazar had informed the court of the young woman’s condition and thought the hearing would be postponed. Instead, Mrs. Salazar and her children were held at a meeting point in Houston, where they had gone thinking they would discuss their case.
That night, Ms. Salazar and her children – aged between three months and eight years – were placed on a plane bound for Reynosa, Mexico, with no preparation for the trip.
“It was cold the night they were detained, and they weren’t even allowed to take their coats,” Silvia Mintz, an immigration attorney now representing the family, told The Guardian.
Under US law, the newborn twins are US citizens by virtue of their place of birth, but Salazar, who was born in Mexico, was awaiting an immigration hearing with her two older children.
According to Ms. Mintz and her legal partner, Isaias Torres, the family was not given the opportunity to explain the missed hearing. “This case shouldn’t have come to this. There were legal options available,” said Isaias Torres. “They thought they were complying with the system, but instead they were arrested and deported.”
Without resources or connections in Reynosa, a border town known for its dangerous conditions, Salazar and her children struggled to manage their sudden displacement. Arellano is now struggling to reunite her family and ensure they can follow the legal immigration process from the United States.
Contacted for comment, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Justice did not respond to questions posed by The Guardian.
The case reflects ongoing concerns about the treatment of immigrant families and the complexity of navigating the US immigration system, particularly for those without legal representation.
Sources:
This article is based on a report by Erum Salam for The Guardian, with additional information provided by KHOU.
You can read The Guardian article by clicking here.