A Texas man is fighting to reunite with his family after ICE deported his wife and four children, including newborn twins who are US citizens, to Mexico.
Christina Salazar, 23, missed her immigration court hearing on October 9 because she was recovering from an emergency cesarean section after giving birth to twins prematurely in a Houston hospital, according to KHOU.
Despite notifying the court and being told that the hearing would be rescheduled, Salazar and her children—the twins and two other children—were arrested at an ICE meeting in Houston on December 11.
The deportation to Reynosa, Mexico left the family stranded and without resources. Salazar, who is originally from Mexico, had been navigating the immigration process with her husband, Federico Arellano Jr., a US citizen.
“[The police] snatched [my cell phone] from my hands when I tried to call a family member,” Christina told KHOU in Spanish.
Christina expressed that she perceived her treatment as that of “someone who had committed a very serious crime.”
Arellano Jr. is advocating for his family’s return to the United States, particularly his newborn twins, who are eligible to stay under US citizenship law.
The family’s lawyers call the deportation an extreme and unnecessary measure, arguing that ICE did not pursue the legal options that existed for resolving Salazar’s case.
Immigration attorneys representing the family are urging lawmakers such as Rep. Al Green to help expedite the family’s reunification.
“What hurts me the most is that my children are sick,” Christina said.
Arellano Jr. continues to fight for his twins’ medical care in the United States.
