Immigration agents reportedly detained a 6-year-old girl, her teenage brother, and their mother at a Manhattan immigration court last week.
The family, originally from Ecuador, had appeared for a routine check-in at 26 Federal Plaza when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents took them into custody on August 12, according to CBS News.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has directed his administration to remove millions of immigrants without legal status as part of his strict deportation agenda. The White House has argued that anyone residing in the country unlawfully should be treated as a criminal. ICE has since faced heightened scrutiny, placing the agency at the center of the national immigration debate.
Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security lifted its prior restrictions on ICE operations at sensitive locations such as courthouses. These sites had previously been considered off-limits so that individuals could access essential services without fear of detention.
What To Know
The mother, identified as Martha, came to the U.S. with her daughter Dayra and 19-year-old son Manuel after fleeing violence in Ecuador, according to advocates who spoke with CBS News.
Dayra is a student at PS 89, the Jose Peralta School of Dreamers in Queens, according to NBC 4 New York.
Mariposa Benitez, founder of the advocacy group Mi Tlalli, said that families like Martha’s are often escaping dangerous circumstances but endure additional trauma when detained in this way.
Soon after the arrest, the family was separated and transferred to different facilities, CBS News reported. Martha and her young daughter were sent to a detention center in Dilley, Texas, while Manuel was taken to Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey.
“The Dilley Detention Center is retrofitted for families. Adults with children are housed in facilities that provide for their safety, security, and medical needs,” Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for DHS, told Newsweek.
The department also stated that the family entered the United States unlawfully in December 2022 and had been issued final orders of removal by an immigration judge.
There have been at least four documented incidents of immigration agents detaining public school students in 2025, according to CBS News.
What People Are Saying
Mariposa Benitez of Mi Tlalli told CBS News:
“I’m a licensed clinical social worker, and the impact of family separation on their mental health is something that they will not be able to recover from in many years to come.”
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin emphasized:
“They have all received final orders of removal from an immigration judge.”
Councilmember Shekar Krishnan, a Democrat, told NBC 4 New York:
“School is supposed to start in three weeks. Dayra and her mother should be buying school supplies.”
A spokesperson for NYC Schools added:
“When we hear about a family that is being detained, we have—with their permission—connected them with community and agency partners who can offer legal support and other resources.”
What Happens Next
The family will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
