The Outrageous Deportation of U.S. Citizen Children—A Dangerous Precedent

Three young children, one seriously ill, are all US Citizens

A COLUMN By: Johanna Elattar

In what can only be described as a shocking abuse of power, the recent deportation of U.S. citizen children—along with their undocumented mothers—by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ignited an outcry that cannot be ignored. These children, aged 2, 4, and 7, were torn from their lives in the United States, despite being citizens, and sent to Honduras, a country they’ve never known. This isn’t just a violation of their basic rights; it’s an assault on the principles that our nation is supposed to uphold.

The deportations took place after routine check-ins at ICE offices. Instead of being given the opportunity to seek legal counsel or communicate with family members, these families were detained and deported within days—some within just 24 hours. One of these children, a 4-year-old with Stage 4 cancer, was denied medical care before being sent away, while another child, only 2 years old, was separated from her father, who had legally requested to keep her in the U.S. The government’s actions appear to be nothing short of a ruthless attempt to expedite deportations, with no regard for the well-being or basic legal rights of U.S. citizens.

According to lawyers representing the families, ICE agents made no effort to allow these mothers to make an informed decision about whether their children should be sent abroad. Instead, the mothers were left with the stark choice of either taking their children with them or risking indefinite separation. The fact that mothers who have legal custody of their children were not given any real choice in this matter is nothing short of horrifying. At the very least, these mothers should have had the opportunity to decide whether their children should stay in the U.S. with proper guardians, yet that option was never presented. The children—U.S. citizens by birthright—were simply treated as expendable, collateral damage in a broken immigration system.

The case of the 2-year-old girl is especially troubling. After the mother was arrested, the father, a U.S. citizen, was denied the opportunity to even speak with his daughter or contest her deportation. U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, who is overseeing the case, has expressed concerns that the deportation was conducted without adequate process. A hearing scheduled for May 16 will seek to determine whether the government violated the child’s rights by deporting her without proper due process.

Meanwhile, another case in Florida involving Heidy Sánchez, a Cuban-born mother of a 1-year-old daughter, reveals even more egregious actions. Sánchez, who had been breastfeeding her daughter and had no criminal record, was detained at a routine ICE check-in and flown to Cuba just days later, with no communication allowed between her and her lawyer. This happened despite Sánchez having a strong humanitarian case for staying in the U.S. ICE’s refusal to even accept legal paperwork in an attempt to stop her deportation further highlights the disregard for the basic legal processes that should be afforded to every person, especially those with family and medical considerations.

The ACLU, National Immigration Project, and other civil liberties organizations have rightly called these deportations “shocking” and “abusive.” Gracie Willis from the National Immigration Project aptly pointed out that these deportations are becoming disturbingly common. What is even more disturbing is that ICE is seemingly following a quota system—expediting removals regardless of the human cost or legal rights involved.

We are witnessing a tragic erosion of fundamental rights under the guise of immigration enforcement. These children, born in the U.S. and therefore entitled to citizenship, were subjected to swift, callous deportation without legal recourse. And their mothers? Arrested without the ability to consult legal counsel or contact their families. In a system that purports to be built on the rule of law, this is an undeniable failure.

These cases underscore the need for urgent reform. Deporting U.S. citizens—especially young children—without due process is not just illegal; it is a moral stain on our country. It’s time for us to demand accountability from the institutions that are supposed to protect our citizens, especially the most vulnerable among us—children.

We cannot allow this to become the norm. It is up to each and every one of us to stand up against these abuses of power. The deportation of U.S. citizen children is an affront to justice and humanity, and it is an affront to the values this country claims to uphold.

It is our responsibility to ensure that these families get the justice they deserve, and that this dangerous precedent is stopped in its tracks.