A 2-year-old girl was taken into ICE custody with her father in Minneapolis before being flown to Texas. Thankfully, she was back with her mother the next afternoon, as confirmed by their family lawyer.
The transfer to Texas happened even though a court had ordered her immediate release. The girl’s father, Elvis Tipan-Echeverria, remains in custody. According to attorney Kira Kelley, the child “is out of detention and recovering from this horrific ordeal.”
On Thursday before their transfer, the father and daughter were held at a federal facility in Minneapolis after agents pursued their vehicle as part of a “targeted enforcement operation.” This facility has seen protests following the death of Minneapolis resident Renee Good earlier this month.
Both the father and daughter are from Ecuador. The child has lived in Minneapolis since she was born and has a pending asylum application.
The incident adds to ongoing frustrations surrounding federal immigration actions. Just days prior, a 5-year-old boy, Liam Conejo Ramos, was also taken into custody in Minneapolis during a similar crackdown. He was put on a plane with his father to a family detention center in Texas, where they remain.
During the encounter with Tipan-Echeverria, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed the father was driving erratically. When agents tried to detain him, he parked the car. They reported he refused to comply with commands to open the door.
The father and daughter were just returning home from shopping when ICE agents approached their vehicle without a warrant, according to their affidavit. An agent broke the window while the child was inside the car, leading to their eventual detention.
Video footage from the scene captured the chaos. People surrounded the agents, yelling for help. As tensions escalated, federal agents reportedly used crowd control measures.
Around 120 individuals were said to have blocked the agents’ exit, prompting escalated actions. DHS noted that obstructing law enforcement can lead to criminal charges.
While DHS claimed the mother had refused custody of the child, family lawyers pointed out the mother was nearby and had been attempting to take the child when agents prevented her.
Expert opinions in child welfare emphasize the potential trauma such incidents can cause to young children. A child psychologist might argue that separation from caregivers can lead to long-term emotional and developmental issues.
In this case, family lawyers highlighted the lack of criminal history for the parents, underscoring the need for a more humane approach to family separations in immigration enforcement. Court documents noted that there was a substantial risk of harm from maintaining the child in custody.
The family’s legal team succeeded in obtaining a court order mandating the child’s release; however, the father and daughter were already en route to Texas at that time. This highlights ongoing concerns about the enforcement of immigration policies and the impact on families.
Recent statistics from organizations like the American Immigration Council indicate that family separation cases have surged in recent years, leading to growing public outcry and protests across the country against such practices.
As these events unfold, the conversation around immigration enforcement and its effects on families continues to evolve, with mounting calls for reform.
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