Judge Questions Legality of Deportation of US Citizen Toddler to Honduras

Judge Terry Doughty highlights strong suspicions regarding the deportation of a Louisiana-born child, VML, amid the heightened immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. The case raises significant legal and ethical questions about due process for US citizens in immigration proceedings.

A federal judge has called into question the legality of the deportation of a two-year-old US citizen, identified as VML, who may have been sent to Honduras alongside her mother and older sister without undergoing meaningful legal procedures. Judge Terry Doughty expressed "strong suspicion" that VML was removed from the United States unlawfully during a routine immigration check at a New Orleans office on April 22, as the Trump administration intensified its deportation efforts.

According to documentation from the case, a representative from the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that the mother explicitly intended for her children to accompany her during the deportation. Judge Doughty attempted to initiate a phone call with the girl’s mother to clarify details, but was informed by a government attorney that this was impossible because the family had already been released in Honduras.

While the immigration status of VML’s mother, father, and sister remains uncertain, the fact is clear: VML is a US citizen by birth. Judge Doughty emphasized that it is unconstitutional to deport or detain a US citizen for deportation purposes. A hearing has been scheduled for May 19 to further investigate the circumstances surrounding VML's deportation.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Assistant Secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, noted in a statement that it is not uncommon for parents facing removal to wish to take their children with them. Meanwhile, VML’s father has sought temporary custody for his sister-in-law, indicating deep concern for the well-being of his children. However, reports suggest that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent declined to honor this request, causing further distress for the family.

In another case from Florida, a Cuban mother with a one-year-old child and a US citizen husband faced similar circumstances, being deported just two days after a scheduled immigration appointment. This case has raised humanitarian concerns given the mother's medical obligations to her infant who suffers from seizures.

These incidents come amid a significant increase in the detention of undocumented immigrants since the Trump administration resumed its strict immigration policies. Legal challenges persist against these measures, as public outcry grows over their impact on some of the most vulnerable, including US citizens wrongfully caught in the enforcement net. The administration's ongoing approach to immigration has sparked widespread debate over legality and ethics, exemplifying the complex landscape of immigration law in the United States.