A federal judge has voiced profound concern over the alleged deportation of a two-year-old US citizen to Honduras, raising questions about the process that resulted in the child’s deportation without her father. The deportation was done despite attempts by the child’s father to stop the action, raising questions as to whether due process rights were violated.
Court Raises Alarm Over Deportation
As per court records, the toddler, “VML,” was deported to Honduras on Friday with her older sister and Honduran-born mother. This followed their visit to a regular immigration check-in session at the New Orleans office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday. The mother and children were taken into custody and the child was scheduled for deportation.
In spite of the father’s desperate legal attempts to prevent the deportation, the child was deported overseas. US District Judge Terry Doughty, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, expressed grave concerns during a hearing, terming the case a due process rights violation.
Emergency Legal Action and Denied Family Communication
The father’s lawyers on Thursday filed an emergency petition asking for the release of the child from ICE custody and challenging the legality of her detention. The petition named Trish Mack as the reputable guardian who would take care of the child if released. The filing contended that VML’s deportation was premature and without proper verification.
During the hearing, it was discovered that the father of the child had been unable to talk meaningfully to the mother about their daughter’s deportation. Judge Doughty tried to call the mother to speak about the case, but the legal representatives of the Trump administration told the court that a phone call would not be feasible since the mother and child had already been released in Honduras.
Court to Consider Deportation on May 16
Judge Doughty ordered a hearing for May 16 to continue looking into whether the US government deported a child who was born in New Orleans in 2023 illegally. The judge stressed that, while the government argues that the mother had consented to the deportation, he is unsure about the genuineness of her consent.
“The Government argues this is all well because the mother wants the child deported with her,” Doughty explained. “But the Court doesn’t know that.” The hearing before the court in the near future will seek to determine whether what immigration authorities have done is lawful and the violation of the rights of the child.
