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yesterday

Federal Judge Probes Deportation of U.S. Citizen Toddler Without Due Process

A two-year-old U.S. citizen was deported to Honduras with her mother and sister, raising legal and constitutional concerns over procedural safeguards.

FILE - A deportation officer with Enforcement and Removal Operations in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's New York City field office conducts a brief before an early morning operation, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024, in the Bronx borough of New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
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Overview

  • Judge Terry Doughty has scheduled a May 16 hearing to investigate whether the deportation of two-year-old V.M.L. violated constitutional protections and due process rights.
  • V.M.L., born in Louisiana, was deported along with her Honduran-born mother and sister after being detained during a routine ICE check-in in New Orleans on April 22.
  • The Trump administration claims the mother consented to taking her daughter to Honduras, citing a handwritten note whose authenticity remains unverified by the court.
  • V.M.L.’s father, who resides in the U.S., sought custody of his daughter but was reportedly denied meaningful contact with the mother while she was in ICE custody.
  • The case highlights broader concerns about aggressive immigration enforcement policies, with civil rights groups condemning the incident as a violation of ICE’s own protocols for minor children.