A routine immigration hearing took an unexpected turn for a New York City family when a 7-year-old girl, her mother Martha, and her 19-year-old brother Manuel were detained by ICE agents at 26 Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan. As reported by ABC7NY, the family hailing from Ecuador was seeking to check-in with immigration officials when they were taken into custody.
Following the detention, Martha and her young daughter, Dayra, were transported to an ICE detention center in Dilley, Texas, while Manuel was sent to the Delaney Hall detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. As covered by CBS News New York, this incident has rendered the young Dayra as one of the youngest city public school students to be detained by ICE this year, and at least the fourth case to make news headlines.
"What has this country come to that we are separating children from their families?" questioned NYC Councilmember Shekar Krishnan, highlighting growing concerns over these enforcement actions. Despite these worries, the Department of Homeland Security indicated that Martha and her children entered the U.S. illegally in December 2022 and have all received final orders of removal from an immigration judge, per a statement by DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin obtained by ABC7NY.
Mariposa Benitez, a founder of Mi Tlalli, stressed the mental health consequences of family separations. "I'm a licensed clinical social worker, and the impact of family separation on their mental health is something that they will not be able to recover from in many years to come," Benitez said, in a statement obtained by CBS News New York. Community support has grown as local leaders, including Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz, have spoken out against the contrast between the government’s stated focus on targeting criminals and the recent detentions involving a mother and her children.
The community has offered support to the family, including assistance and public calls for their release and reunification. In a recent interview with CBS News New York, one of Martha’s sons, who lives in Queens and requested anonymity, described the role his mother’s hugs once played in providing comfort—something now provided by his sister Dayra. The family remains uncertain about when they will be reunited. Relatives have continued to request consideration under current immigration policies.
