A Texas father says his four-month-old twins have been mistakenly deported along with their mother and siblings in an immigration mix-up.
Federico Arellano Jr says his wife Christina Salazar and their four kids were put on a plane on December 9 after missing a hearing with an immigration judge.
He says that he is a US Citizen – along with three of his four kids. It’s unclear what Christina’s status is.
Despite being born in Houston in October, the twins were sent to Mexico with their mother.
Now, Jr. is fighting to bring them all back, describing it as an ICE misunderstanding.
He said his children were crying as they and Salazar were taken into custody.
The distressed mother later told KHOU that Arellano Jr. was not allowed to say goodbye to the twins in the moment and she was unable to call for help after agents had ripped her cell phone away from her hands.
Attorneys Isaias Torres and Silvia Mintz, who are representing the family, said that Salazar was born in Mexico and married Arellano Jr. in 2019.
Federico Arellano Jr says his wife Christina Salazar and their four kids were put on a plane on December 9 after missing a hearing with an immigration judge
Federico Arellano Jr says the kids are lawful US Citizens and that it’s a mistake. They were deported with their mother after she missed an immigration hearing
It’s unclear how he obtained citizenship, or how long he has been living in the US.
The family believes they were harshly punished for simply missing the hearing.
Now, they are begging to be reunited.
‘Because their babies are US citizens, they deserve to be here and get the attention they need – the medical attention they need,’ one of their lawyers said.
‘They were shocked and surprised that they were separated,’ another added.
Trump and his incoming border czar Tom Homan have made no secret of their plans to implement mass deportations and family separations when they take office.
Homan makes no apologies for it either.
He has been demonized by Democrats and revered by Republicans for his direct approach.
The incoming administration is yet to address how it will handle scenarios like the Salazar family’s.
Homan previously revealed that he will first target Chicago in his mass deportations.
Christina Salazar, 23, and her four children including four-month old twin daughters were taken into custody, put on a plane to McAllen, Texas
Trump and his incoming border czar Tom Homan have made no secret of their plans to implement mass deportations and family separations when they take office