Overview

• The mother and child were detained with a 19-year-old sibling during an Aug. 12 check-in at 26 Federal Plaza, transferred to the Dilley, Texas family facility, then flown to Ecuador on Aug. 19, officials said.
• The 19-year-old brother remains in ICE custody at Delaney Hall in Newark, according to ICE records and advocates.
• DHS says the family entered unlawfully in December 2022 and that an immigration judge issued final removal orders after the mother's asylum claim was denied last year.
• Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York lawmakers condemned the action and demanded transparency, as City Hall advanced litigation challenging ICE courthouse arrests.
• The child attended P.S. 89 in Queens, where school leaders urged her release and the Education Department reassured families that schools remain safe, supportive spaces.