ICE deports two U.S. citizen girls; judge orders their return.

Key Takeaways

• A federal judge ordered ICE to return two 12-year-old U.S.-citizen twins to Florida after they were sent to Guatemala with their mother.
• The girls were allegedly taken into ICE custody under a “family unity” practice while their mother attended an immigration appointment.
• Court filings say the mother had previously designated the children to remain in the U.S. with their grandmother.
• The order requires the government to cover the girls’ return travel, restore their documents, and bar renewed detention.

What Happened

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is under scrutiny after two 12-year-old twin sisters, both U.S. citizens born in Orlando in 2013, were deported to Guatemala alongside their mother. According to court filings cited by La Opinión, the girls had been waiting in a parking lot with their grandmother on March 9 while their mother, Marly Carolina Morataya Zepeda, attended an ICE appointment. An ICE officer allegedly directed them toward the building entrance, where the children were placed into custody under a “family unity” practice that, in some cases, allows children to travel with a parent who is being removed.

The Court’s Order

The girls’ grandmother, Sonia García Valles, filed a habeas corpus petition—a legal tool to challenge unlawful detention—arguing the children had been improperly detained and transferred. U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell (Middle District of Florida) issued a temporary order to keep the girls within the district while the case was reviewed, but by then they were already en route to Guatemala. In a subsequent ruling, Judge Presnell ordered the government to facilitate the girls’ immediate return to Florida, cover travel costs from Guatemala City to Orlando International Airport, provide unaccompanied minor services on the flight, and deliver the children to their designated caregiver. The court also directed the return of the girls’ passports and personal effects and prohibited federal authorities from detaining them again.

Policy and Legal Context

ICE’s acting field office director, Kellei Walker, told the court that officers believed they were correctly applying a policy that lets parents decide whether children remain in the U.S. or depart with them. However, court records indicate the mother had already filed a form on February 25, 2026, stating the girls should stay in the U.S. with their grandmother. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, U.S. citizens cannot be deported; removal proceedings apply to noncitizens. When agencies mistakenly remove citizens, federal courts can intervene—often through habeas petitions—to remedy the violation and order their return.

What This Means Now

For families navigating immigration enforcement, this case underscores the stakes—and the need for clear documentation and careful review of any “family unity” decisions, particularly when U.S.-citizen children are involved. It has been reported that the lawsuit names as defendants the U.S. Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and ICE’s acting director; the named individuals were reportedly Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem, and Todd M. Lyons. The filing also states the girls’ father is allegedly a lawful permanent resident. For now, the immediate practical effect is concrete: the government must bring the children back to Florida, restore their documents, and ensure they are not detained again.

Source: Original Article