The RecordExhibit 19
Deporting American children
Pending means: In court or under criminal investigation right now.
ICE deported three U.S.-citizen children with their mothers to Honduras, including a 4-year-old with metastatic cancer who was sent without his medication.
What happened
A 2-year-old citizen was flown out the morning after her father's lawyers filed an emergency petition, before the court opened. Lawyers said the mothers were not given the option of leaving their children with family in the U.S.
Where it stands
On July 31, 2025, the two families sued the federal government in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, asking for the removals to be found unlawful, for their return to the United States, and for damages. No ruling has been reported. Earlier, Trump-appointed Judge Terry Doughty wrote that it is illegal and unconstitutional to deport a U.S. citizen, and that he strongly suspected the government had done so without meaningful process.
The administration's side
Officials said the mothers chose to take the children. Rubio said the children can return if a parent here wants to take them in. DHS says the children were not deported: it says ICE asked the mothers whether to place the children with someone they designated, and that it makes sure medical treatment is available in the country a person is removed to.
Sources
Permanent link: https://unredactedrecord.com/e/citizenkids/