Recent deportations of three US citizen children to Honduras, including a four-year-old battling cancer, have sparked outrage from advocacy organizations and raised questions about due process. The children were returned alongside their mothers, who were illegally residing in the US, in a controversial move by immigration officials.
US Citizen Children, Including One Battling Cancer, Deported to Honduras
US Citizen Children, Including One Battling Cancer, Deported to Honduras
Advocacy groups raise concerns over the deportation of three young US citizens, including a child in need of medical care, amidst ongoing immigration policy debates.
Three young children, all US citizens, were deported to Honduras last week along with their mothers, according to statements from advocacy groups and the families' legal representatives. Among the children is a four-year-old diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, who was reportedly sent away without necessary medication, raising alarm among supporters and legal advocates.
Tom Homan, who served as the border czar during Donald Trump's administration, stated that the mothers chose to take their US citizen children with them when they were removed from the country. He emphasized that being a US citizen does not provide immunity from immigration laws, defending the actions of immigration officials.
The deportations took place after officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) transported the two families, which included a pregnant mother, back to Honduras from Louisiana. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the mothers and their children had resided in the country for several years prior to their removal. The ACLU criticized the circumstances of the deportation, citing grave due process violations in the process.
Homan asserted during a press conference that deporting families together avoids the trauma of child separation, stating, "What we did was remove children with their mothers who requested the children depart with them. There's a parental decision." Furthermore, he dismissed the term "deported" as inaccurate, claiming the parents made the decision independently.
In a recent ruling, a federal judge expressed concern regarding the two-year-old US citizen child among those deported, suggesting that she was removed without "meaningful process." This child’s family was apprehended during a scheduled immigration appointment in New Orleans earlier in the year. Homan, in a subsequent interview, contended that the mother received due process through immigration hearings.
A hearing is set for May 19 to further discuss the family's claims regarding due process after they faced challenges in reaching ICE while attempting to contact detained family members. The White House has been promoting stricter immigration enforcement and publicizing previous raids that have led to the arrests of undocumented immigrants since the Trump administration's return to power.
As this sequence unfolds, advocates for immigrant rights continue to highlight the deep ethical and legal implications of these deportations, especially when vulnerable children are involved.
