Particle.news
Download on the App Store
14 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Venezuelan Toddler Reunited with Mother After Year-Long Separation in U.S. Custody

Maikelys Espinoza's return to Venezuela concludes a controversial case involving deportation policies, disputed gang allegations, and strained U.S.-Venezuela relations.

Pro-government supporters hold up signs with the image of Maikelys Espinoza, a 2-year-old in US custody whose parents were deported separately, at a rally in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
A screen shows an image of Maikelys Espinoza, a 2-year-old in US custody whose parents were deported separately, after a pro-government May Day rally in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, May 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Venezuelan First lady Cilia Flores (R) welcomed home a toddler whose Venezuelan parents were deported from the United States without her
Image

Overview

  • Maikelys Espinoza, a 2-year-old girl separated from her parents at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2024, has been reunited with her mother in Venezuela.
  • The child had been in U.S. custody under the Office of Refugee Resettlement for nearly a year after her parents were deported separately.
  • Her father, accused by U.S. authorities of ties to the Tren de Aragua gang, was sent to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador in March under the Alien Enemies Act, though no evidence has been publicly presented.
  • Venezuelan officials, including President Nicolás Maduro, have celebrated the child's return, denouncing the separation as a 'kidnapping' and calling it a victory for the nation.
  • The case highlights broader tensions over U.S. immigration policies, with over 4,000 Venezuelans deported since February under measures criticized for lack of due process.