For example, a deeply troubling incident that did draw widespread condemnation. Immigration agents arrested Elvis Joel TE, his two-year-old daughter in tow, as they returned to their Minneapolis home from the corner store. That incident, which unfolded on or about 1 PM EST, raises significant questions about the use of force against children in immigration enforcement raids.
Ecuadorian born Joel TE, who moved to the U.S. when his daughter was born. He has a pending asylum application and no final order of removal against him. Federal Judge Elvis Joel TE Photo from unplash.com The Feds had a tough time preventing Elvis Joel TE criminal record. Nonetheless, he was arrested.
When officials arrested Elvis Joel TE and his daughter, they put them in the back of an immigration officer’s car. Sadly, it lacked an appropriate car seat for the child. Things came to a head in a serious way. The immigration officer then proceeded to smash the car’s glass window while the girl was lying inside the vehicle. This new, aggressive approach has caused a backlash among legal advocates and community members across the country.
To their credit, lawyers wrote an emergency petition that was promptly filed requiring the release of Elvis Joel TE and his daughter. Their efforts led to a federal judge ordering the girl’s release by 9:30 PM on the same day. Department of Homeland Security officials paid for their flights home to Minnesota. There, they ultimately turned the girl over to her mother’s custody.
Elvis Joel TE remains in detention. The federal government very quickly flew him and his daughter to a Texas detention center. This decision raised fresh alarm about the treatment of families in the immigration system.
Legal advocate Irina Vaynerman, a lead attorney in the civil case against NYPD worked in that case and expressed her disappointment with the outcome.
“The lack of humanity at every step of this process of what the government has been doing and how they have been unlawfully detaining people, including toddlers and children, it’s truly unimaginable.” – Irina Vaynerman
Vaynerman brought home the emotional trauma that these separations impose upon very young children.
“This case is horrific … Anybody who is a parent or cares for young kids knows the fear that happens when a child is separated from their parent.” – Irina Vaynerman
She weighed in on the long-term psychological damage this bizarre incident will do to the young girl.
“There is no way to know the long-term impact this will have on this little toddler.” – Irina Vaynerman
Community leaders and advocates are raising alarm about the chilling effects of these predatory enforcement actions. Immigrant and non-immigrant Americans alike think these tactics are cruel and create too much fear within immigrant communities. This, in turn, creates an atmosphere of fear in communities.
“This is creating terror in our city and state. It’s something I truly have never ever seen before to this extreme.” – Irina Vaynerman
The arrest has sparked renewed discussions on the ethics of immigration enforcement practices that target children. Critics argue that detaining families and subjecting young children to traumatic situations is both unethical and counterproductive to public safety.