In Durham, North Carolina, advocates for immigrants and local community members are demanding accountability after reports emerged that a family, including two young children, was promptly detained and deported to Honduras without proper legal procedures.
According to advocates, Genesis, aged 11, and her 6-year-old brother Denis, along with their parents, attended a previously arranged meeting with immigration officials on Monday. By Thursday morning, they had been deported back to Honduras as part of the Trump administration’s stringent immigration policies.
Siembra NC, the civil rights organization supporting the family, indicated that the family immigrated to the U.S. in 2022 and sought asylum. As part of the asylum-seeking process, they were obligated to attend regular check-in meetings with immigration authorities.
The children’s aunt waited for them in the parking lot while they were at their appointment, as reported by the group. After an hour and a half, she received a phone call from a federal agent informing her that the family had been taken into custody.
During a press briefing on Thursday, Andreina Malki from Siembra NC expressed concern, stating, “This family was misled into believing they were safe at the check-in office, only to be abruptly taken from their lives, their education, and deported within approximately 48 hours. This should raise alarm for all of us, as it indicates that children attending school in Durham can be forcibly removed by agents in broad daylight after complying with the necessary procedures. This is not about public safety enforcement; it represents the erosion of any assurance of safety.”
A representative from the Department of Homeland Security responded by asserting that the family had a final removal order and no pending asylum applications. “ICE does not conduct ‘raids’ in schools or specifically target children,” the statement clarified. “This family unit was issued a final removal order by a judge after failing to appear for their immigration hearing. They were returned to Honduras together, having received complete due process with no pending claims or applications.”
Malki also recounted that after their appointment, the family was placed in a van with tinted windows, preventing them from communicating with their aunt in the parking lot, who could only watch helplessly as they were driven away without the chance to say goodbye.
In response to this incident, North Carolina State Senator Sophia Chitlik mentioned that several members of the county commission and school board have offered to accompany families to future check-ins, aiming to document the actions of the Department of Homeland Security.
Mika Twietmeyer, president of the Durham Association of Educators, shared a statement from Genesis’ fifth-grade teacher, who characterized Genesis as “a bright young girl with a promising future.” The teacher noted, “She embodies the spirit of a little scientist and mathematician in our classroom, always eager to explore, experiment, and learn. She consistently helps her peers and is a kind-hearted child. Her character reflects the love and hard work of her family.”
