A federal judge is worried after a two-year-old U.S. citizen was sent away from the country with her mother, without her father, and without a proper process. The judge pointed out that this happened even though the little girl’s dad was trying to keep her in the U.S.
The girl, referred to as “VML” in court papers, was sent to Honduras with her mom and older sister on the same day the judge heard about the case. This occurred after an emergency legal request was made to stop her deportation because her dad wanted her to stay in America.
The child’s father gave documents that showed VML was born in New Orleans in 2023. She was with her mom and sister during a regular check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New Orleans when they were detained for deportation.
ICE officials said the mother told them she wanted to take VML back to Honduras. In court, the judge expressed his concern and said he wanted to confirm the mother’s wishes.
The case began when lawyers filed an emergency petition to free VML from ICE custody, saying her detention was wrong. They asked for Trish Mack, a person the father trusted, to take care of VML if she was released.
During the court hearing, VML’s father was not allowed to call his ex-partner to discuss their plans for VML. Judge Doughty tried to reach VML’s mother himself, but the government’s lawyers later informed him that the mother and child had already been sent back to Honduras.
The judge scheduled a hearing on May 16 to see if the government broke the law by deporting a child born in the U.S. in 2023. He expressed doubt about whether it was right to send her away just because the mother said she wanted to go with her.
Leave a Reply