After nearly 50 days apart, 15-year-old Emmanuel Gonzalez-Garcia was finally reunited with his family after being held in federal custody. Emmanuel, who is autistic and sometimes non-verbal, was mistakenly classified as an "unaccompanied minor" and even underwent emergency surgery to remove his appendix while in care.
His family first reported him missing while he was selling fruit with his mother and sister, but it took a week to learn he had been placed with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement. Community groups and Congressman Al Green advocated for his release, and Houston Police informed the family of his location on October 10 following a press conference with FIEL Houston, as per FOX 26 Houston.
Maria Garcia, Emmanuel's mother, had to prove she was his parent using fingerprints and DNA tests, which attorney Frances Bourliot called "infuriating." On Tuesday, Bourliot’s firm filed a habeas petition against ICE, ORR, and HPD, saying Emmanuel’s detention was illegal and asking for his release. Bourliot said, "If it can happen to Emmanuel, it really can happen to anybody." She also said, "The damage that's being done. That doesn't just magically go away," as mentioned by Houston Chronicle.
