Elder, from Honduras, was separated from his 13-year-old daughter seven months ago. Gangs were threatening to kill him, so they sought asylum in the US.
He thought they were being separated as a normal procedure. He was taken to the airport three times to be deported.
He thought they were being separated as a normal procedure. He was taken to the airport three times to be deported.
After four months, he appeared in immigration court.
"Please if you could give me the opportunity to be with my daughter, I need to be with my daughter,” he told one judge.
"You have to talk to ICE," he says the judge told him.
But ICE told him to speak with the judge.
"Please if you could give me the opportunity to be with my daughter, I need to be with my daughter,” he told one judge.
"You have to talk to ICE," he says the judge told him.
But ICE told him to speak with the judge.
Kania hadn't seen her 12-year-old son since they were separated six weeks earlier. They only spoke once while detained.
At one detention center, she joined other separated mothers asking about their kids.
"We didn’t know where they’d gone. We felt powerless to do anything."
At one detention center, she joined other separated mothers asking about their kids.
"We didn’t know where they’d gone. We felt powerless to do anything."
She said she was praying to not be returned to Honduras. She said her ex-husband had sent a group of his friends to beat her up, leaving her arm badly injured, and he told her he would finish what he started. buzzfeednews.com/article/amberj…
Twice this week she'd been removed from her dormitory and told she'd be reunited with her son — only to then learn it wouldn't happen.
On Wednesday, she finally got to cuddle him. "It felt like a dream, I couldn’t believe it," said Kenia.
On Wednesday, she finally got to cuddle him. "It felt like a dream, I couldn’t believe it," said Kenia.
Angeline, 11, lived in fear for what might happen to her dad Filadelfo after they were separated on May 8.
They were fleeing Guatemala. He says he and his daughter were being threatened by gangs, and he carried photos of himself after he'd been beaten and robbed in 2016.
They were fleeing Guatemala. He says he and his daughter were being threatened by gangs, and he carried photos of himself after he'd been beaten and robbed in 2016.
It was "marvelous" when they were finally reunited. Both of them cried.
Asked what would happen if they had to return to Guatemala, he didn’t see it as an option.
"I don’t know because with the age my daughter is," he said, "we can’t leave here.” buzzfeednews.com/article/amberj…
Asked what would happen if they had to return to Guatemala, he didn’t see it as an option.
"I don’t know because with the age my daughter is," he said, "we can’t leave here.” buzzfeednews.com/article/amberj…
