Overview
- Joseph, 6, was deported with his mother and 4-year-old brother after a March 3 ICE check-in in San Francisco, with ICE saying they were flown out March 5 via Louisiana.
- The family’s attorney alleges ICE refused to accept the child’s customized hearing aids during detention, pressured the mother to sign documents without counsel, and misled lawyers about the family’s location, blocking emergency filings.
- DHS and ICE say an immigration judge issued a final removal order in 2024 and contend the mother was given the option to leave the children with a caregiver before choosing to depart together.
- Swalwell announced that his staff traveled to Colombia and returned the hearing devices, called for congressional scrutiny of the case, and said he is working with the legal team on a humanitarian parole request.
- The attorney says the family is now in hiding in Colombia and the children are not enrolled in school, as California education leaders, including Tony Thurmond, urge the boy’s return to his specialized school in Fremont.