Federal Lawsuit Challenges ICE Deportations Involving Parents of U.S.-Citizen Children
In a significant legal battle, a newly filed federal lawsuit accuses U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of improperly deporting two non-citizen mothers along with their children, despite one of the children battling advanced kidney cancer. The case highlights tensions around ICE’s adherence to its own policies.
The lawsuit, filed in the Middle District of Louisiana, uses pseudonyms Julia and Rosario to protect the plaintiffs’ identities. It names high-profile defendants including U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons. The plaintiffs, Julia and Rosario, who are both from Honduras, lived in Louisiana before their recent deportation.
Julia, a 30-year-old mother of two, and Rosario, 25, who also has two children, were deported after attending what they believed to be routine ICE check-ins. The children involved include U.S. citizens Jade, Ruby, and Romeo, while Janelle, Julia’s daughter, is not a U.S. citizen.
The lawsuit claims ICE contravened Directive 11064.3, which mandates that detained parents should have the option to arrange custody for their children prior to deportation. “In violation of the government’s own directive, Julia and Rosario were never given a choice as to whether their children should be deported with them and were prohibited from contacting their counsel or having meaningful contact with their families to arrange for the care of their children,” reads the complaint.
The legal action further criticizes ICE’s procedures, claiming that the detainees and their children were effectively held incommunicado and deported without due process. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security have yet to comment on the case.
Rosario’s plight is further complicated by her son Romeo’s severe health issues. Diagnosed at age two with kidney cancer that has metastasized to his lungs, Romeo was receiving critical care at Manning Family Children’s Hospital. The lawsuit argues that ICE’s actions unjustly deprived Romeo of necessary medical treatment, forcing him to travel back to the U.S. periodically for care.
The travel poses significant logistical and financial challenges for Rosario, who has limited funds. She is also concerned about the legal limitations on the duration Ruby and Romeo can legally stay in Honduras, given their U.S. citizenship.
The lawsuit seeks to hold the named defendants accountable, seeking a jury trial, reparations, and an order to allow the families to return to the U.S. While the plaintiffs aim to address the emotional and physical distress caused by these events, the lawsuit also seeks to enforce adherence to ICE’s own regulations.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
