A Venezuelan Family
“..The group heard explosions from flash bangs, followed by shouts from law enforcement yelling commands to get out of the house…‘We all started shouting that there were babies — Babies, there’s babies,’ recounted a 30-year-old Venezuelan man, who said he was at the house to celebrate the birthdays of his son, who turned 5, and his best friend, who turned 28. — The Texas Tribune
The Trump administration is escalating its one-sided war on families by taking the most heinous and shocking actions its agencies can muster up.
The story featured in The Texas Tribune is a real-life example of the administration’s willingness to take its mass deportation agenda to the extreme. How? By crashing into a home with flash bang grenades at 5 a.m. after a birthday party and detaining children as young as 3 years old.
We met one family who fell victim to this raid — a father, a mother, and their 5-year-old and 3-year-old children — when they were transferred to family detention, first at a facility in Karnes County, Texas, then to a more remote location in Dilley, Texas, where RAICES provided emergent legal services.
It was clear as the father recounted this traumatic event to our advocates that cruelty and humiliation were the point. Agents pointed their guns at them. Hurled insults, yelled, and mocked them. Baselessly accused them of gang ties because of tattoos.
His son turned 5 years old within 24 hours of being detained. Think about that. Turning 5 in prison. That’s enraging and inhumane.
No child should spend their birthday in an immigration prison. Period.
Let us remind you: In most circumstances, it is a civil — not criminal — offense to be in the U.S. without legal status. Akin to jaywalking. Yet, the U.S. government can revoke a person’s freedom for months and sometimes even indefinitely.
This family came to the U.S. looking for a safer future. A pending asylum case was making its way through the system. Then, the rug was pulled out from under them. The government terrorized and forced them into detention. We were able to secure their release, but they face an uncertain future — a sudden reality for immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking families across the country.
Now more than ever, families need legal representation so they stand a chance at having their day in court to fight for their cases. Due process is their right — just as it is for every person on U.S. soil.
