A Texas man is currently facing a challenging battle to bring his family back together. His wife and four children, including newborn twins who hold U.S. citizenship, were forcibly deported to Mexico by ICE.
According to KHOU, Christina Salazar, 23, was unable to attend her immigration court hearing on October 9. She had recently undergone an emergency cesarean section to deliver premature twins at a hospital in Houston.
On December 11, despite notifying the court and being assured that the hearing would be rescheduled, Salazar and her four children, including the twins, were unexpectedly arrested during an ICE meeting in Houston.
Salazar and her family found themselves in a dire situation after being deported to Reynosa, Mexico. They were left stranded without any resources to support themselves. Salazar, who is originally from Mexico, had been going through the immigration process with her husband, Federico Arellano Jr., who is a U.S. citizen.
Christina, speaking in Spanish to KHOU, revealed that the police forcefully took away her cell phone from her hands as she attempted to call her family member.
Christina expressed her feelings of being treated as if she had committed a grave offense.
Arellano Jr. is actively pushing for his family’s reunion in the United States, with a special focus on his newborn twins, who have the right to remain in the country according to U.S. citizenship law.
According to the family’s lawyers, ICE had alternative legal avenues to address Salazar’s case, but they chose not to pursue them, deeming the deportation as an excessive and avoidable action.
The family’s immigration attorneys are advocating for the involvement of lawmakers, such as Rep. Al Green, to accelerate the process of reuniting the family.
“It’s heartbreaking to see my children suffer from illness,” expressed Christina.
Arellano Jr. is still fighting to make sure that his twins receive the necessary medical care in the United States.
