CHICAGO, Illinois — Three pikin dem wey be U.S. citizen, along with dem mama, enter Honduras last week, including one 4-year-old wey dey receive treatment for metastatic cancer, according to information from legal representatives and civil rights organizations.
One of di cases involve one mama wey carry her two children, one 4-year-old and one 7-year-old, come check-in for regular meeting with immigration officials in Louisiana. Di American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and di National Immigration Project make di announcement on Friday.
Dem mothers and dem children dem detain when dem go attend di Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP) meetings, according to court documents and di families’ attorneys. Di advocates for di families say di removals highlight serious concerns about due process under di Trump administration’s immigration policies.
“We dey see real-time erosion of due process,” Gracie Willis, a lawyer with di National Immigration Project wey dey represent di 2-year-old through one family friend wey dey act as di petitioner, talk. “Dis case dey illustrate di concerning trend,” she add.
CNN reach out to di U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for comment but no response don come yet. According to prior reports, di 2-year-old, wey dem identify as V.M.L., and her mama, along with her 11-year-old sister, get arrested while dem dey do routine check-in.
Di judge recognize say di mama no get legal status, but him schedule hearing for May 16 regarding di child’s deportation, stating, “It dey illegal and unconstitutional to deport, detain for deportation, or recommend deportation of a U.S. citizen.”
Di second case, na similar matter: di mama wey don dey live for south Louisiana for over ten years but no get lawful status, get detained after she bring her children and their passports for ISAP check-in in Saint Rose, just outside New Orleans. Her attorney, Erin Hebert, tell CNN say she no fit follow dem enter di meeting.
“About 20 to 30 minutes later, I receive message say di family don dey detain, but dem no want tell me where dem go carry dem go,” Hebert narrate.
She later find out say two ICE officers dey wait for di family for di appointment. Once di family don dey detain, Hebert rush go ICE’s New Orleans office to file for stay of removal to stop dem from deportation.
“My clients dey deport within 24 hours of detention without any access to me,” Hebert talk. Both women reportedly had removal orders after dem miss court dates for dem immigration cases.
“Something prevent dem from attending just one court date,” Willis say. “And because of that, di judge enter deportation order.”
In court documents, di government claim say di 2-year-old mama request make she carry her child go Honduras, citing one handwritten note wey dem say dey come from di mama. Trump border czar, Tom Homan, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, confirm di position in interviews.
“If person dey this country unlawfully, di person go deport. If di person get 2-year-old pikin, di options na two: either you carry di pikin go or di pikin go stay behind,” Rubio talk.
But Willis dismiss di notion say V.M.L. mama, wey dey pregnant, want carry her child go Honduras. Di note, according to her, “no be statement of desire.”
“Both mothers no get option; dem want dia children to stay for di U.S.,” Willis explain, adding say di 4-year-old dey receive cancer treatment. Also, both women get family wey dey reside for di U.S., according to Willis and Hebert.
“Dem be mothers, dem be pregnant women. Dem pikin dey face terminal illness or serious health issues; dem dey law-abiding residents, wey dey comply with ICE requests,” Alanah Odoms, di ACLU of Louisiana executive director, comment. “If ICE fit treat dem mothers and children like dis, who no dey safe from this kind of lawlessness?”
