Two mothers have been deported to Honduras alongside their U.S. citizen children, raising significant concerns about the treatment of families under immigration policies. Under President Trump, Tom Homan—sometimes called the administration’s border czar—has emerged as a central player in creating the inflammatory climate surrounding these deportations. His conduct has led to unprecedented demonstrations and debates nationwide. Gracie Willis, an attorney with the National Immigration Project, shed light on the vulnerability of these families. She shared the stories of mothers who experienced loneliness and were not allowed to plan for their children’s care prior to their deportation.
The two women faced harrowing circumstances. In another, a mother in Richmond, Virginia traveled to her first appointment with immigration officials. Sadly, just after joining the program, she and her 11-year-old daughter were abducted in Mexico. This traumatic experience forced them to not show up for a later immigration hearing, making their case even more complicated. The other woman had actually entered the U.S. as an unaccompanied minor. Then, because she missed a hearing that she had no knowledge of, she was issued deportation orders. Both mothers were subsequently left without any means of making themselves understood to prospective caregivers of their children. Their experiences highlight critical issues surrounding their rights and the custody determinations that they encounter.
Willis stressed that these moms went through “utter desolation.” This geographic isolation compounded their existing challenges in coordinating large-scale, complex care for their medically complex children. She said, “This is where we had these moms just held in total isolation, kind of dictated to as to what was going on with their kids. Unfortunately, they never got the chance for that dialogue. They were unable to balance the costs of staying in the U.S. versus moving with their children. The picture gets even scarier. One parent found out that her children wouldn’t be permitted to stay in the U.S. with an arranged U.S. citizen custodian while she was deported with her children, as she had hoped.
In one of the most heartbreaking examples, a deportee was a mother. She was forced to leave her two small children, seven and four years old—both U.S. citizens. The four-year-old is currently suffering from a rare form of late-stage cancer and cannot get the drugs and treatment needed. This begs the question of whether it is ethical to target these vulnerable families with current immigration enforcement laws.
One of the mothers was pregnant when the deportation was announced, and went through extreme stress leading up to her deportation. This environment only compounds the difficulty of these cases. Willis pointed out the psychological toll this experience has taken on her, stating, “She’s in the early stages of a pregnancy and has undergone unimaginable stress.”
The mothers’ children’s father and a court-appointed guardian attempted to reach the mothers prior to their deportation. This makes it clear that relatives were not only willing, but were clamoring to take custody of the children. This opportunity was taken away by the social isolation forced on the mothers.
Homan’s perspective on these cases has sparked debate. He claimed, “The children aren’t deported. The mother chose to take the children with her,” which counters the narrative of parental rights being overlooked in such situations. This claim is tantamount to saying that mothers can choose where to go when they are deported. As many advocates point out, the hard-won choices these women have are in part a result of the isolation they endure.
Senator Marco Rubio got into the mix, arguing that families deserve more agency in custody determination. He stated, “I imagine those three U.S. citizen children have fathers here in the United States. They can stay with their father. That’s up to their family to decide where the children go.” This view is a sign of a greater conversation that’s been happening around family rights during the time of increased immigration enforcement.
For years, advocacy groups and legal experts have criticized prosecutions like those taken against these mothers. In doing so they cite to the benefit of family stability and how overly intrusive policies invade on core parental rights.