A federal judge in Louisiana has raised serious concerns regarding the deportation of a 2-year-old American citizen, referred to as VML, asserting that she was removed from the United States without proper due process.
U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty highlighted this troubling situation after VML, her mother, and her sister were deported to Honduras on a Friday, despite the court’s ongoing efforts to clarify the child’s citizenship status.
In response to this alarming incident, Doughty has scheduled a hearing for May 16 to investigate what he described as a ‘strong suspicion’ that the government may have unlawfully deported a U.S. citizen.
The circumstances leading to VML’s deportation have raised a multitude of questions. On the day of their deportation, Judge Doughty attempted to contact the federal government to discern more about the situation, but learned that VML and her family had already left U.S. territory.
Doughty noted that the government’s justification for the deportation hinged on the assertion that the mother wanted VML to accompany her to Honduras. However, Doughty expressed skepticism about this claim, stating, ‘But the Court doesn’t know that.’
The family was reportedly taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a routine check-in related to the mother’s participation in the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP), an alternative detention program for noncitizens who are unlawfully present in the country.
The details surrounding the triggering factors for VML’s mother’s and sister’s deportation remain unclear. According to a lawsuit filed on behalf of the child, the father had dropped off the family for the meeting and was notified about an hour later that they had been detained.
Describing an emotional and distressing encounter, the lawsuit alleges that ICE agents refused to divulge the location of VML and her mother, allowing the father only a brief conversation with his partner.
In an excerpt from the filing, it was noted, ‘V.M.L.’s father received a call from an ICE officer, who spoke to him for about a minute. The officer said that V.M.L.’s mother was there, and that they did not have much time to speak to each other and that they were going to deport his partner and daughters.’
During his attempts to secure the release of his family, the father faced further challenges with ICE, as New Orleans ICE Field Office Director Mellissa Harper reportedly interrogated him regarding his immigration status.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, defended the agency’s actions in a statement, claiming, ‘The parents made the decision to take the child with them to Honduras. It is common that parents want to be removed with their children.’
However, the statement raised further questions, as it implied both parents supported VML’s deportation, despite the fact that her father remains in the United States.
This case underscores the increasingly complex and controversial landscape of immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, during which expedited deportations of undocumented immigrants have become a focal point of federal policy.
As the situation continues to evolve, the legal ramifications and questions surrounding due process for citizen children caught in these actions remain critically significant.
image source from：https://www.npr.org/2025/04/26/nx-s1-5378077/honduras-deported-girl-citizen
