A 6-year-old boy battling leukemia was held in ICE detention for weeks after attending a scheduled immigration court hearing with his family, despite following every legal step required for asylum, the family's lawyer said.
The Honduran family fled death threats and entered the U.S. legally after securing a CBP appointment, Raw Story reported. After appearing at a May court hearing as instructed, they were detained by plainclothes ICE agents.
The child, already in cancer treatment, was held alongside his parents and 9-year-old sister at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas, a facility reopened under President Donald Trump.
During their month in custody, the boy suffered from bruising, bone pain, and fatigue. His family also reported missing a critical June 5 oncology appointment. Both children "cried every night," and his sister stopped eating, according to their attorney, Elora Mukherjee.
The detention drew outrage from immigrant rights advocates and legal experts, who argue the case exposes how Trump's second-term deportation push, anchored by a goal of 3,000 arrests per day, is ensnaring even the most vulnerable.
"This child was not a threat. This family followed every rule. This is a moral and constitutional failure," Mukherjee said.
The family was released July 2 following mounting media attention and legal pressure. But Mukherjee says the damage was already done, calling the experience "deeply traumatizing" and "a direct violation of both the Fourth and Fifth Amendments."
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