U.S. Citizen Children Deported to Mexico: A Disturbing Case in Austin

Two U.S. citizen children were deported to Mexico alongside their mother in Austin after a recent detention. The family experienced rapid deportation without apparent due process, raising concerns about immigration practices under the current administration. Legal experts condemned the actions of ICE and highlighted the anguish faced by families affected by such policies.

In a troubling case out of Austin, two U.S. citizen children were deported to Mexico along with their mother this week. According to Cori Hash, a senior staff attorney with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, the incident took place on Wednesday morning. Reports indicate the family was detained near Dobie Middle School a week prior, raising serious questions about the processes involved in their deportation.

Details surrounding the family’s detention are quite alarming. Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers stopped the family on April 30, leading to the father’s arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Although the mother was not initially detained, she was instructed to report to an ICE facility in San Antonio the following day. Notably, the exact number of children present during the incident remains unclear.

Cori Hash clarified that the parents are not married but have been together for several years and share three children, aged 8, 5, and 4. Two of the children are U.S. citizens. The sequence of events unfolded rapidly, with the father being deported on Tuesday, followed by the mother and her children the very next morning.

Hash was adamant about not disclosing the family’s identities, citing concerns for their safety. She stated, “They had no due process whatsoever. It just goes to show that this administration feels that it can deport U.S. citizens whenever it wishes and however it wishes.” This sentiment reflects broader concerns over U.S. immigration policy under the current administration.

The two children’s citizenship status could not be immediately verified. However, Mexican consulate representatives in Austin, led by Carlos Enrique Gonzalez Echevarria, interviewed the detained father, who claimed his two youngest children were indeed born in the U.S.

On the federal side, spokespeople from the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the ICE and Texas Department of Public Safety, did not provide comments as of Wednesday afternoon, possibly indicating the sensitivity of this case.

This incident highlights ongoing allegations that the Trump administration has engaged in deporting U.S. citizens during its mass deportation efforts. Just last month, allegations surfaced regarding the deportation of three U.S. citizen children to Honduras, including a 4-year-old cancer patient.

In light of these events, the ACLU emphasized that the mothers supposedly made voluntary decisions to leave with their children. Yet, Hash pointed out that the family had relatives in the U.S. who could take care of their children, though these family members were not given the chance to communicate with the parents in custody.

Michelle Lapointe, the legal director for the American Immigration Council, shared her observations on ICE’s decision-making practices, noting a troubling trend in which parents are not afforded proper chances to arrange for their children’s care. “The result is that you’re essentially exiling a U.S. citizen to a country that they don’t necessarily know or have any connection to when you’re not allowing parents to make arrangements for their children to remain,” she said.

After the father’s detention, the mother received an ankle monitor and was instructed to report back to ICE with her children on May 2. Hash described being on the phone with the mother when ICE agents ushered her inside, leading to the detention of her three children alongside her. Subsequently, both parents and children were deported to Reynosa, a border city in Mexico, leaving serious questions about their future and the overarching immigration policies at play.

The deportation of two U.S. citizen children with their mother in Austin raises urgent questions regarding due process and current immigration policies. Legal advocates express concern over the lack of options for parents in custody to manage their children’s care, emphasizing the impact of such deportations on families. As scrutiny continues over the administration’s actions, this case appears to spotlight the broader implications of aggressive immigration enforcement that reportedly targets U.S. citizens as well.

Original Source: www.dallasnews.com