Overview
- The child, a student at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont, was detained with his mother and younger brother during a March 3 ICE check-in in San Francisco and flown to Colombia on March 5, according to their attorney.
- The family is now in hiding in Colombia, and the attorney alleges federal agents refused access to the boy’s hearing devices and pushed the mother to sign paperwork without counsel.
- DHS disputes the account, stating an immigration judge issued a final removal order on Nov. 25, 2024, that the mother received due process, and that she chose to depart with her children.
- California schools chief Tony Thurmond criticized the removal and urged the federal government to return the student to his school community, citing the reported lack of critical medical devices.
- Rep. Eric Swalwell plans a press conference in Hayward on Monday with the family’s attorney to provide case updates and demand answers from federal officials.