A federal judge confirmed on Friday that a two-year-old U.S. citizen, referred to as V.M.L., was deported to Honduras alongside her undocumented mother. The judge, Terry Doughty, noted that the mother had allegedly requested officials to take her child with her during the deportation process.
Legal representatives for the family had filed an emergency petition the previous day, arguing that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents had no legal grounds to detain V.M.L. as a U.S. citizen. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on January 4, 2023, V.M.L. had been taken into custody with her mother and her 11-year-old sister after the mother attended a routine check-in with ICE.
In his remarks, Judge Doughty expressed concern about the circumstances leading to the child’s deportation, scheduling a hearing for May 16 in Monroe, Louisiana, to investigate further. He asserted it is illegal to deport U.S. citizens, citing precedents from a previous case involving deportation.
Court documents indicate that the government argued the mother had conveyed her wish for her child to accompany her to Honduras via a handwritten note. However, the judge questioned the validity of this claim, stating that there was insufficient evidence to confirm the mother’s intentions.
A senior official from the Department of Homeland Security stated that it is common for parents to express a desire to be removed with their children during immigration proceedings and that the agency is committed to the safety of minors involved in such cases.
Despite attempts by the children’s father to assert V.M.L.’s U.S. citizenship and prevent her deportation, ICE officials informed him multiple times that the mother and daughters were going to be deported. He experienced distress as he overheard his daughters crying during the conversations with ICE agents. In response, the father had attempted to arrange for his U.S. citizen sister-in-law to take custody of the children, but ICE refused, claiming the child was already with her mother.
The petition brought forth by the family highlighted the father’s concerns regarding their daughters’ wellbeing, emphasising that they had been taken from their legal custodian without appropriate legal process. The petition also mentioned that ICE had not acknowledged the father’s identity, stating that he had not presented himself adequately to the agency.
The case draws attention to the broader implications of immigration laws and the potential violations of citizen rights that can occur during enforcement actions. The upcoming court hearing is expected to clarify the legal grounds for the child’s deportation and the responsibilities of the ICE in these cases.