HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Recent actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have led to the deportation of a breastfeeding Cuban-born mother, Heidy Sánchez, and the separation from her 1-year-old daughter. In a separate incident, a 2-year-old American citizen was deported alongside her Honduran-born mother. These cases have sparked significant concern regarding the deportation practices enforced under President Donald Trump's administration.
Both Sánchez and the mother of the 2-year-old girl were apprehended during routine check-ins at ICE offices, where they had limited or no opportunities to consult with attorneys or contact family members. Following these arrests, the mothers were deported within just a couple of days, raising questions about the legality and morality of ICE's actions.
A federal judge in Louisiana expressed doubts about the legality of the deportation concerning the 2-year-old girl, emphasizing that the government failed to adequately prove the legitimacy of the proceedings that led to her removal. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) described this situation, among others, as a disturbing, though increasingly common, abuse of governmental power.
Additionally, the father of the 2-year-old girl asserted his desire to keep his child in the United States, contradicting claims made by ICE that the mother wished for her daughter to be deported with her. The federal judge, Terry Doughty, called for a hearing to further investigate the circumstances surrounding the girl's deportation, expressing a strong suspicion that the removal was conducted with insufficient due process.
The Honduran mother and her daughters were taken into custody during an ICE check-in in New Orleans. While the mother and her 11-year-old daughter had outstanding deportation orders, the younger girl’s U.S. citizenship complicated the situation. Doughty attempted to contact the detained mother during her deportation flight but learned too late that she had already arrived in Honduras.
In Florida, Heidy Sánchez was apprehended during a scheduled ICE appointment in Tampa. Her lawyer, Claudia Cañizares, reported that Sánchez was taken without the opportunity to communicate with anyone and was flown to Cuba two days later. Setting a concerning precedent, Sánchez’s case exemplifies the complexities faced by individuals undergoing deportation processes under ICE's current enforcement practices.
Sánchez's lawyer attempted to contest her deportation by filing necessary paperwork with ICE, only to be informed that Sánchez had already been removed from the country. Despite efforts to demonstrate that Sánchez has a legitimate case for humanitarian relief to stay in the U.S. due to her circumstances, claims have been made that ICE is operating under quotas that prioritize expediting deportations over individual rights and due process.
Sánchez previously had an outstanding deportation order following a missed hearing in 2019, which resulted in her detention for nine months. She was released in 2020 when Cuba refused to accept her. After her release, Sánchez was required to maintain regular check-ins with ICE, however, the abrupt deportation actions have raised alarms regarding the fairness and humanity of such processes.
The contrasting experiences of these mothers highlight broader concerns about ICE's immigration policies, particularly regarding how they impact families and the fundamental rights of individuals involved. These incidents reflect a troubling trend as courts assess the implications of ongoing immigration enforcement measures under the current administration.
