Two U.S. citizen children, a 4-year-old boy with Stage 4 cancer and his 7-year-old sister, were deported to Honduras on a flight arranged by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without access to legal counsel. Gracie Willis, an attorney from the National Immigration Project, stated the children were detained in El Paso and flown out before attorneys could file a habeas corpus petition on their behalf. The boy, actively receiving cancer treatment, was deported without his medication, raising serious concerns about procedural violations.
Attorney Erin Hebert condemned the deportation as “illegal, unconstitutional, and immoral,” criticizing the manner in which it was carried out. A U.S. District Judge has called for a hearing, noting the apparent lack of due process in the case. The incident is part of a troubling trend wherein U.S. citizens and permanent residents have been mishandled by immigration authorities, highlighting systemic failures within ICE.
Both children’s mothers, in incommunicado detention, were unable to communicate with their families or lawyers prior to deportation, resulting in dire choices being made without proper consultation. The National Immigration Project alleges that ICE violated its own policies regarding the care of minor children during deportations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio received criticism for downplaying the situation, asserting that the mothers, being undocumented, made the choice to take their children with them. He stated that while the children are U.S. citizens, they can return to the U.S. separately from their parents. Willis countered this by asserting that the children’s rights were disregarded and called for transparency to prevent future incidents. The families are currently grappling with the impact of these actions, as the children were removed before their legal options could be pursued.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
