In recent days, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have deported several individuals, including a Cuban-born mother of a 1-year-old girl, as well as three children ages 2, 4, and 7 who are U.S. citizens along with their Honduran-born mothers. These deportations have raised questions about the treatment of immigrants and their families, especially in light of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The cases described how the women were arrested during routine check-ins at ICE offices, given little opportunity to speak with lawyers or family members, and then deported within a short period of time. The American Civil Liberties Union and other advocacy groups have condemned these actions as an abuse of power.
Gracie Willis of the National Immigration Project expressed concerns about the lack of due process for the deported mothers, particularly in regard to deciding the fate of their U.S. citizen children. In one case, a 4-year-old with a rare form of cancer and a 7-year-old were deported to Honduras with their mother, while a federal judge in Louisiana questioned the deportation of a 2-year-old girl, stating that the government did not prove the deportation was done properly.
In another case, a pregnant Honduran-born mother was arrested during a check-in appointment in New Orleans, along with her 2-year-old daughter and 11-year-old sister. Despite efforts by the judge to intervene, the mother was deported to Honduras before any meaningful process could take place.
Meanwhile, in Florida, a Cuban-born woman named Heidy Sánchez, who is the mother of a 1-year-old girl and the wife of a U.S. citizen, was detained at an ICE office in Tampa and deported to Cuba. Sánchez, who is still breastfeeding her daughter, has a strong case for remaining in the U.S. on humanitarian grounds, but ICE allegedly refused to consider this when carrying out the deportation.
Sánchez had an outstanding deportation order from 2019, but Cuba had previously refused to accept her back. She was released in 2020 and ordered to check in regularly with ICE. Despite efforts by her lawyer to contest the deportation, Sánchez was sent to Cuba without proper legal recourse.
These cases highlight the harsh realities faced by immigrant families in the U.S. and the need for a more humane and fair immigration system. The actions of ICE in these deportations have raised concerns about the treatment of vulnerable individuals and the lack of due process in immigration proceedings.
