Thread: A toddler who appeared in Immigration Court goes home to Honduras

A Toddler Who Appeared in Immigration Court Goes Home toHonduras. ‘Mi Amor,’ Her Mother Cries.


SAN PEDRO SULA, Honduras — The passengers from American Airlines Flight 941trickled out, alone, in couples and in groups — all but the small girl whosefamily was nervously awaiting her in the arrivals area. It had been threemonths since 2-year-old Fernanda Jacqueline Davila had been whisked away withher grandmother on a journey to the United States that had gone badly wrong.

For months, the child’s mother, Alison Michell Davila, had been tryingwith the rest of the family in Honduras to navigate the labyrinth of theAmerican immigration system from afar.

They pleaded for the release of thechild, who was being held in foster care in New York.

She doesn’t need to stayin America, the family told the authorities. Just let her come home.

Finally, more than an hour after the plane landed, an immigration officeremerged bearing the toddler in his arms. Ms. Davila wept. “Mi amor,”she called out, “my love.”

There was no smile of recognition — just a blank stare.

Mother, grandparents andaunts put away the welcome poster, the balloon and candy from her favoritemovie, “Frozen,” all brought to celebrate the end of a venture that some hadhoped might be a new beginning for Fernanda — but that had proved more painfulthan any of them had ever imagined.

The girl flew to the Honduran city of San Pedro Sula on Thursday with sevenother children, most of whom had been separated from their families at thesouthwest border, among nearly 3,000 such separations that happened this yearunder a controversial Trump administration policy intended to deter migrationfrom Central America. President Trump halted the practice in June after it cameunder attack, but four months later, federal authorities have been unable to returnall the children to their families.

The eight children who flew from New York on Thursday were among more than100 still living in shelters and temporary foster care, according to volunteerand advocacy groups working with migrant families.

In some cases, the adults who accompanied the children still in custody arethemselves in immigration detention; others were deported, while their childrenwere left behind.

Reuniting children with families overseas is a complicated process involvingextensive paperwork from shelters, documents from the children’s families andapproval from both governments. Often, permission must also be granted by aUnited States immigration judge.

Before Fernanda’s mother could even touch her daughter at the airport,immigration officers ushered the arriving children into a windowed room. Itwould be nearly 40 minutes more before they would emerge.

Tears streaming down their cheeks, the families pressed their faces againstthe glass, trying to catch their children’s attention. They waved. “Show usyour teeth!” one shouted. “Look how much you have grown! We’ll be togethersoon.” Two little boys, who looked overwhelmed, took cover under a desk.

Fernanda’s mother held up her new daughter, Mia Charlotte, who was just afew days old when Fernanda had last seen her. Fernanda did not react.

Finally, a while later, she cracked a smile.

“She looked confused in the beginning, but after, she wanted to come withus,” Ms. Davila said, sounding like she was trying to convince herself.

Hector Enrique Lazo, the child’s grandfather, was exuberant. “I am overjoyedto have her again. We were very worried because we heard she could be given upfor adoption,” he said.

Later, his smile faded. Everyone had been taken aback by the child’s failureto respond to them. “I need to take her to a psychologist tomorrow,” Mr. Lazosaid.

Fernanda had embarked with her maternal grandmother on a two-week journey toreach the United States in late July, only to be separated at the border inTexas. The grandmother, Nubia Archaga, said in an interview earlier this monththat she had hoped to forge a new life in the United States with hergranddaughter.

After two days in a holding facility at the border, Fernanda was flown toNew York City, where she was under the care of Cayuga Centers, a child welfareagency in New York, and living with a foster family.

After locating her with the help of a toll-free number publicized on localtelevision, the family in Honduras immediately began to fight for Fernanda’sreturn, scrambling to collect documents to prove that she was theirs.

Fernanda had been doted on by the entire family. She and her mother hadlived with Mr. Lazo and his wife, who bought her toys and a tricycle,celebrated her birthdays and baptism.

Fernanda had been born four months after their son, Fernanda’s father,died in a car accident; she was a piece of their son they still had. “She cameback to fill the void that our son left,” said Mr. Lazo.

The family had been furious over Ms. Archaga’s decision to take the child withher to the United States, a decision, they believed, made with the hope thathaving a child with her would facilitate her entry, albeit illegally, into theUnited States.

Last month, they were told that the little girl would go before a judge, whowould decide her fate.

On Oct. 8, Fernanda was the youngest child that day to appearin a federal immigration courtroom in New York, so small she had to belifted onto the chair. A lawyer for Catholic Charities, who had volunteered totake her case, asked the judge to grant the child “voluntary departure,” a kindof voluntary deportation that would enable Fernanda to return quickly toHonduras. It took two weeks to get all her travel documents together.

Early this week, her family was notified by the case manager in New Yorkthat she would be flown to Honduras on Thursday morning. Her aunt, KarennLazo, shared the news in an email, saying, “Our Fernanditais finally coming back.”

Ms. Davila and Mr. Lazo, along with his wife, two daughters and Ms. Davila’snew baby crammed into their old green pickup truck and set out in the wee hoursfrom the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, where they live in a working-classsuburb, to San Pedro Sula.

A few other families also were awaiting children who had been separated froma loved one at the border. Sandra Isabel Pagoadasaid her son Carlos, 9, had crossed the border with his uncle, with herconsent. “I wanted him to have a better of life,” she said, sobbing andclutching a balloon.

But they were separated, the unclesummarily deported and Carlos transferred to a shelter, where he would end upspending five months. “I am so glad he is back here,” Ms. Pagoada said.

All the families waited tensely for the children’s first appearance afterthe plane landed. Every time the silhouette of a child appeared behind aprivacy screen, the families took a deep breath.

Then suddenly all eight children, including Fernanda, were escorted to aroom where their documents were reviewed.
The children ranged in age from about 2 to 16. It seemed that several ofthem had no one to pick them up, but authorities declined to answer anyquestions.

Even after the 40-minute processing, it was not over. A Honduran official steppedout and announced that all of those who had arrived would have to travel to acenter for migrant children for additional screening before they could beofficially returned to their families.

As Fernanda was carried toward a beige van that idled outside, the distancebetween her and her family growing,she began to squeal and flap her arms in protest. Her mother slipped into thegroup and climbed in the van along with her. Her grandparents and auntsfollowed in their truck.

After a couple of hours, mother and daughter came out.

Fernanda had counted “all the numbers” in English while they were inside,Ms. Davila said. “She told me all about what they did over there.”

Mr. Lazo grabbed his granddaughter. “Who am I?” he asked her.

She did not respond. “Soy tupapá, mi amor,”he said. “It’s your papa, my love.”

On closer inspection, they noticed her body was covered in red spots andscabs, apparently from scratching herself. A nurse at the center said it was anallergy, Ms. Davila said,and prescribed skin cream. But Fernanda had never had such an allergy, theysaid.

Weary but happy, the family stopped for a celebratory meal of fried fishnear Lago de Yojoa, a big lake.

On the way, they picked up drinks at a gas station. Ms. Davila, her daughterpropped on her lap, handed her some “Frozen”-themed candy.

“Mommy, is this a gift?” Fernanda asked.

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This is exactly why ALL UAC's need to be immediately processed and returned into the care and custody of their countries authorities within 48 hours!

If they come with a family unit...load the whole family on a BUS back home. No expensive plane rides. There are hundreds of thousands of them. Get them on barges and get them off our soil. We should not foot the bill for this!

Their own grandmothers are kidnapping them to show up with a child and gain illegal entry into our country.

These people are disgusting and need to be turned away at our border!

No asylum at Ports of Entry. They need to be investigated, vetted and given thorough medical exams IN their home country, not show up at our border!

Stop this human trafficking.

Stop warehousing them in OUR country!

Stop releasing them into our neighborhoods!

Apprehend them, process them and load them up on the most cost effective transportation to send them back!

Do not KEEP these UAC's...shame on you Churches and lousy politicians doing this!

Shame on you Judges putting these kids through this...YOU have no right to keep these kids here! Send them home!

Send UAC's directly into the care of their President...they are HIS responsibility to care for and find their families back home!