US immigration agents detain two-year-old Minnesota girl: ‘depravity beyond words’ | Minneapolis
A two-year-old girl and her father were detained by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis on Thursday, then transported to a detention center in Texas, according to court records and attorneys representing the family. Despite a court order issued that evening directing the girl’s immediate release, federal officials proceeded with the transfer.
Detention and Court Order
The father, identified in court filings as Elvis Joel TE, and his daughter were stopped while returning home from a store around 1pm. Lawyers filed an emergency petition demanding their release, and a Minnesota-based federal judge issued an order around 8:10pm prohibiting their transfer outside of Minnesota. A subsequent order mandated the girl’s immediate release into the custody of her attorney, Kira Kelley.
However, the family’s lawyers state that federal officials disregarded the judge’s order and placed both the father and daughter on a flight to Texas around 8:30pm. They were later flown back to Minnesota, and the two-year-old was released into her mother’s custody on Friday afternoon. As of Friday afternoon, the father remained detained in Minnesota.
Conflicting Accounts and Legal Challenges
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that agents were conducting a “targeted enforcement operation” when they “identified” Elvis Joel TE, alleging he had unlawfully reentered the US and was “driving erratically with a child.” DHS also claimed the father refused to open his door or lower his window and that agents attempted to hand the child to the mother, but she “refused.”
Irina Vaynerman, one of the family’s lawyers, refuted the DHS claim that the mother refused to take her daughter, stating that agents prevented the father from returning the child to her mother. Kelley, another attorney, wrote in a filing that agents entered the family’s property without a warrant and allegedly broke the car window while the girl was inside. The vehicle lacked a car seat when the father and daughter were placed inside.
The father, originally from Ecuador, has a pending asylum application and no final order of removal. His daughter has lived in Minneapolis since birth. The family’s lawyers are urging the court to issue a broader order to prevent similar transfers and protect the rights of individuals with pending legal challenges to their detention.
What Might Happen Next
The father’s asylum claim could proceed through the legal system, potentially leading to a hearing before an immigration judge. It is also possible the lawyers will succeed in obtaining a broader court order restricting out-of-state transfers. Further legal challenges to the actions of the immigration agents could be filed. The case may also attract further scrutiny from advocacy groups and lawmakers, potentially leading to calls for policy changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What prompted the initial detention?
According to DHS, agents were conducting a “targeted enforcement operation” and “identified” Elvis Joel TE, alleging he had unlawfully reentered the US and was “driving erratically with a child.”
Did the court order prevent the transfer?
A Minnesota-based federal judge issued an order prohibiting the transfer of the father and daughter outside of Minnesota and ordering the girl’s immediate release, but the family’s lawyers state that federal officials proceeded with the transfer to Texas anyway.
What is the current status of the father?
As of Friday afternoon, the father remains detained in Minnesota, according to Irina Vaynerman, one of the family’s lawyers.
What are the long-term implications of prioritizing immigration enforcement in this manner, particularly when it involves young children and their families?