Jump to content

Deportation of VML

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

VML is a 2-year-old American citizen who was deported to Honduras with her mother in April, 2025.[1][2][3]

Overview

[edit]

VML, referred to by her initials in court documents to protect her privacy, was born in Baton Rogue, Louisiana, in 2023.[4] On April 22, 2025, her mother who is a Honduran citizen, was asked to bring her children with her when attending a check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).[5][2] During the check in, VML, her 11-year old sister, and their mother who is pregnant, were detained and quickly deported.[1][6] VML's mother was ordered to be deported because — according to her lawyer — she had been kidnapped while waiting in Mexico to immigrate to the United States and wasn't released by her kidnappers until after her appointment had passed.[7]

VML's father alleges in court filings that between the time of her detention and deportation, he reached out to ICE and was told that he could attempt to pick up his daughter, but that he would be also be "taken into custody" if he did so.[8]

At a court hearing, U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty highlighted deportation of a United States citizen is "illegal and unconstitutional," that he has a "strong suspicion that the Government just deported a U.S. citizen with no meaningful process."[4][9][10][11] Judge Doughty ordered a hearing on the matter for May 16, 2025.[12]

Reactions

[edit]

The executive director of ACLU of Louisiana said, of the deportation of VML and two other young children who are American citizens, "Once again, the government has used deceptive tactics to deny people their rights. These outrageous actions must be condemned. We as a nation are better than this. These families deserve better. They must be returned."[13]

Tom Homan, President Donald Trump's border czar, suggested to that VML is an anchor baby, stating "Having a U.S. citizen child after you enter this country illegally is not a get-out-of-jail free card."[14] Homan — when speaking about VML as well as the deportation of a 7-year-old girl and her 4-year-old brother — insisted that the children's mothers requested their children be removed from the country, and said it was preferable to keep the families together.[15][2]

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that "the children weren’t deported but 'went with their mothers,' adding that as citizens they could come back if there's someone in the United States who 'wants to assume them.'"[16][2]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Tucker, Emma (2025-04-26). "Federal judge says 2-year-old US citizen appears to have been deported with mother to Honduras". CNN. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  2. ^ a b c d "Attorneys dispute Trump officials' claim that deported moms willingly took their U.S. citizen children". NBC News. 2025-04-29. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  3. ^ "Trump Lied About Deportation of 4-Year-Old U.S. Citizen, Lawyers Say". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  4. ^ a b "Judge says 2-year-old US citizen appears to have been deported with 'no meaningful process'". POLITICO. 2025-04-25. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  5. ^ Singh, Maanvi (2025-04-28). "Mothers deported by Trump 'denied' chance to transfer custody of children, lawyer says". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  6. ^ Andone, Dakin (2025-04-27). "3 children who are US citizens — including one with cancer — deported with their mothers to Honduras, lawyers and advocacy groups say". CNN. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  7. ^ "Trump's deportation campaign is capitalizing on a key hallmark: Speed". NBC News. 2025-05-01. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  8. ^ Romero, Laura (April 25, 2025). "Trump administration deported 2-year old US citizen 'with no meaningful process,' judge says". ABC News. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  9. ^ Felton, Emmanuel; Vazquez, Maegan (April 26, 2025). "Three U.S. citizens, ages 2, 4 and 7, swiftly deported from Louisiana. The cases have renewed concerns that the Trump administration's expedited deportations are violating the rights of both citizens and noncitizens".
  10. ^ Lotz, Avery (2025-04-28). "What to know about the U.S. citizen children removed with their mothers". Axios. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  11. ^ Aleaziz, Hamed (2025-04-29). "What to Know About the 3 U.S. Citizen Children Removed to Honduras". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  12. ^ Finn, James (2025-04-26). "A 2-year-old U.S. citizen from Louisiana was deported to Honduras, federal judge says". NOLA.com. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  13. ^ "Trump Has Now Deported Multiple U.S. Citizen Children With Cancer". Yahoo News. 2025-04-26. Retrieved 2025-05-02.
  14. ^ Medina, Eduardo (2025-04-27). "Two Children With U.S. Citizenship Deported to Honduras With Mother, Lawyer Says". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  15. ^ "Three US citizen children, one with cancer, deported to Honduras, lawyers say". BBC News. 2025-04-28. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  16. ^ "Trump Lied About Deportation of 4-Year-Old U.S. Citizen, Lawyers Say". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
Stub icon

This United States government–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This article related to the politics of the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deportation_of_VML&oldid=1289374546"