According to reports from the BBC and POLITICO, a court document reveals that Federal Judge Terry Doughty expressed "strong doubt" about the deportation of the minor VML (referred to by initials for privacy protection) "without any meaningful procedure."

The document shows that on April 22, the girl, who was born in Louisiana, along with her Honduran mother and sister, were detained when they went to ICE's routine check-in in New Orleans and were subsequently deported to Honduras. Since she was born in the United States, she should legally have US citizenship, which has drawn widespread attention.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security stated that the child was deported because her mother presented a handwritten note in Spanish indicating her desire for her daughter to leave with her. However, the judge emphasized that the information still needs to be verified.

According to the documents, the judge attempted to arrange a call with the girl's mother, but government lawyers stated that they "could not contact" her because the three women had already been sent to Honduras.

The immigration status of the girl's parents and sister remains unclear, but VML's US citizenship has been confirmed. POLITICO reported that this girl was born in New Orleans in 2023.

Judge Doughty stated: "Deporting or suggesting the deportation of a US citizen is illegal and unconstitutional." The hearing will take place on May 19 to further clarify whether the child was deported without due process.

Media reports indicate that Honduras currently faces severe corruption and violence issues, and deporting young US citizens to this country may place them in danger.

Previously, the girl's father applied under state law for temporary guardianship transfer, intending to entrust VML to his American citizen sister-in-law. However, ICE agents refused to execute this arrangement after communicating with the family lawyer, stating that if the father went to retrieve the girl, he would also be detained.

Meanwhile, a similar incident occurred in Florida. A Cuban woman named Heidy Sánchez, carrying her one-year-old daughter and American citizen husband, was detained during an immigration interview and deported to Cuba two days later.

According to her lawyer, Sánchez is still breastfeeding her epileptic daughter and has no criminal record. He appealed for humanitarian reasons to allow her to stay in the US.

In another widely publicized case, the Trump administration mistakenly deported a Salvadoran man named Garcia from Maryland to El Salvador and placed him in a notorious gang prison. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the government must assist Garcia in returning to the US, but the White House stated that he "shall never reside in the US again."

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7498107075084436008/

Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's viewpoint. Please express your attitude by clicking the [Like/Dislike] buttons below.