Three US Citizen Children, Including One with Cancer, Deported to Honduras

Three US citizen children were deported to Honduras with their mothers, one of whom has cancer, sparking outrage and concerns over legal protocols.

Three young children, including a four-year-old battling Stage 4 cancer, were deported to Honduras last week alongside their mothers, according to reports from advocacy groups and legal representatives. The child’s lawyer revealed that the deportation occurred without the essential medications required for treatment. Tom Homan, a former official during Donald Trump's administration, stated that the mothers chose to remove their citizen children during the deportation process, emphasizing that having a US citizen child does not exempt individuals from immigration laws.

This situation has drawn parallels to deeply criticized policies from Trump’s first term, which induced a nationwide uproar over the separation of children from their parents. Specifically, this incident involves the deportation of two families—one of which included a pregnant mother—from Louisiana by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) expressed grave concerns over the legality of the deportation, highlighting claims of insufficient due process in the removal of the families.

Homan defended the actions taken by the government, asserting that removing families together was preferable to separation. He maintained that the decision to leave the country was made by the parents rather than the US government. “They weren't deported. We don't deport US citizens,” he stated, framing the removal as a parental decision.

These developments took a turn when a federal judge revealed concerns about the two-year-old citizen's deportation, suggesting that there was a lack of "meaningful process" surrounding her removal. The Louisiana-born child had been apprehended during a scheduled immigration appointment earlier in the year. Homan claimed that due legal processes had been followed, insisting on the validity of the immigration judge's orders.

As the situation continues to evolve, a hearing regarding the due process issues surrounding the families' deportations is set for May 19. In light of broader immigration policies, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt highlighted ongoing enforcement efforts, revealing the administration's intention to issue executive orders targeting “sanctuary cities” and increasing immigration raids, amid reports of large-scale detentions of undocumented immigrants.