Louisiana—A federal judge has expressed grave concerns over the deportation process of a two-year-old U.S. citizen who was removed along with her mother to Honduras without what he considered appropriate legal safeguards. U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty has scheduled a hearing for next month to address potential violations regarding the child’s civil rights.
In a court order issued on Friday, Doughty highlighted that the child, referred to in documents as VML, was placed on a flight to Honduras with her mother, who had already been ordered for removal. The judge questioned the legality of this action, noting that the government’s argument—that the mother requested her daughter accompany her—did not guarantee due process.
The urgency of the situation intensified when the judge learned from federal officials that the mother and child had already boarded an airplane as he was in communication with them. A call to the court at approximately 1:06 p.m. confirmed that the pair had been deported by the time the judge inquired about their status.
Doughty emphasized the need for the upcoming hearing, stating it aimed to address “strong suspicion” that a U.S. citizen was deported under questionable circumstances. Appointed by former President Donald Trump, Doughty serves as the chief judge for the Western District of Louisiana.
Attorneys representing the family reported that their client and her two children had been detained on Tuesday morning in New Orleans by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while attending a scheduled appointment with the agency. The mother, originally from Honduras, had previously been released from ICE detention in 2021 under an intensive supervision program.
Following the mother’s detention, the father of VML, who resides in the United States, has sought custody and requested that the child be placed with a willing custodian in the country. VML was born on January 4, 2021, in Baton Rouge, and is a documented U.S. citizen. Her sibling, who is eleven years old, was born in Honduras.
Legal representatives arguing against the child’s deportation contend that removing VML constitutes a violation of her constitutional rights, given her citizenship status. Government attorneys, however, assert that the mother has legal custody and pointed to a handwritten letter in which she stated her intent to take her daughter to Honduras. This letter was reportedly written while both were in ICE custody just prior to their deportation.
As the situation unfolds, both the Department of Homeland Security and ICE have not yet responded to inquiries about the case, leaving many unanswered questions regarding the treatment of U.S. citizens within the immigration system. The upcoming hearing is anticipated to bring clarity to this troubling incident and potential implications for similar cases in the future.