In a recent court filing, federal judge Terry Doughty expressed serious doubts regarding the deportation of VML, a two-year-old US citizen, alongside her mother and sister amid the Trump administration's intensified immigration crackdown. The family was taken into custody during an immigration appointment in New Orleans on April 22, with suspicions mounting that VML was sent to Honduras without any meaningful legal procedure.
Judge Questions Potential Unlawful Deportation of Two-Year-Old US Citizen
Judge Questions Potential Unlawful Deportation of Two-Year-Old US Citizen
A federal judge raises concerns that a two-year-old girl may have been wrongfully deported to Honduras without appropriate legal process amidst heightened immigration enforcement.
Documents reveal that the judge has sought to communicate with the child's mother concerning the situation, but was informed by a government lawyer that both had already been released in Honduras. The status of VML's family members remains uncertain, but the judge underscored the illegality of deporting or detaining a US citizen. A hearing has been set for May 19 to investigate these serious allegations further.
In a statement to CBS News, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin noted that the mother made the decision for her children to accompany her back to Honduras. This pattern was echoed in a second case involving a Cuban woman and her US citizen family, who were also swiftly deported following a routine appointment. The woman’s attorney has argued for her right to remain in the US on humanitarian grounds, given her child’s medical needs.
Overall, thousands of undocumented immigrants have been affected since Trump's return to the White House, facing increased detentions, which have led to legal challenges surrounding the administration's aggressive immigration policies.
In a statement to CBS News, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin noted that the mother made the decision for her children to accompany her back to Honduras. This pattern was echoed in a second case involving a Cuban woman and her US citizen family, who were also swiftly deported following a routine appointment. The woman’s attorney has argued for her right to remain in the US on humanitarian grounds, given her child’s medical needs.
Overall, thousands of undocumented immigrants have been affected since Trump's return to the White House, facing increased detentions, which have led to legal challenges surrounding the administration's aggressive immigration policies.
