U.S. citizen children, including 4-year-old with cancer, deported to Honduras, legal advocates say

According to the National Immigration Project, two American children were flown to Honduras on their mother’s deportation flight without being able to consult with lawyers, resulting in a 4-year-old cancer patient being separated from his medication. Gracie Willis, a legal representative from the organization, disclosed that the boy and his 7-year-old sister were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday, transferred to El Paso, Texas, and then deported to Honduras the following morning. Despite actively undergoing treatment for a rare cancer type, the 4-year-old boy was sent to Honduras without his necessary medication. Legal experts were in the process of preparing a habeas corpus petition when the children were unexpectedly deported on an ICE charter flight before the petition was submitted.

Attorney Erin Hebert, who is reportedly representing the family, did not respond to inquiries for comments. In a statement released by the National Immigration Project, Hebert condemned the removal of American children as “illegal, unconstitutional, and immoral,” expressing outrage at the rapid and secretive manner in which the deportation occurred. Willis is also handling a similar case involving a mother of a 2-year-old U.S. citizen who was deported along with her child on Friday.

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty has scheduled a hearing on the case, suggesting that the government’s actions lacked proper due process in removing an American citizen. These incidents are part of a disturbing trend that has sparked concerns among immigration advocates. Instances of U.S. citizens mistakenly detained by ICE and receiving incorrect deportation orders have been prevalent in recent news. Additional cases have raised fears of procedural mistakes, such as the detaining of Mahmoud Khalil, a U.S. permanent resident, without a warrant, and the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador despite a court order preventing his removal.

In both child-related cases, the families had fathers residing in the U.S. who were unable to participate in decisions concerning their children before they were deported to Honduras, Willis added. The women were held incommunicado by ICE, making them unreachable by legal representatives or family members. Legal teams that managed to contact the mothers after their deportations reported that the women felt they had no choice and were assured that their children would accompany them.

Willis accused ICE of violating its own guidelines regarding the care of minor children during deportations. The families are currently processing the events, with the children being American citizens who should have the right to return, although their mothers were deported before pursuing legal remedies. ICE representatives have not yet responded to requests for comments, while a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson mentioned that the parent decided to bring the 2-year-old child to Honduras.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged the citizenship of the children in an interview, emphasizing that those in the U.S. illegally do not have the right to remain. Rubio clarified that the children were U.S. citizens and could return to the United States, while their mothers, who were in the country unlawfully, were the ones deported. Willis criticized the government for distorting facts and stressed the importance of transparency to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.