Arabic version: عائلة من كاليفورنيا تُرحل، والمناصرون يطالبون بعودة طفل أصم
Lesly Rodriguez Gutierrez and her two children, aged five and six, were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on 3 March 2026 during a check-in at their San Francisco office. The family was subsequently deported to Colombia, prompting urgent calls from California’s state superintendent for the return of the six-year-old boy, who is deaf and was not provided with his essential assistive devices. According to The Guardian, the situation has raised significant concerns about the treatment of vulnerable individuals within the immigration system.
Tony Thurmond, California’s superintendent of public instruction, emphasized the inhumanity of separating a child from their community, particularly a child who relies on American Sign Language for communication. He urged federal authorities to act swiftly to reunite the family, stating, “No child should be ripped from their home community and hidden in a detention center, especially not a Deaf child who is being deprived of the ability to communicate and understand what is happening to him.”
The family had come to the United States in 2022, and Gutierrez had filed an asylum application the following year. Despite initial rejection by a judge, she appealed and was placed under a supervision order requiring regular check-ins. However, the family’s detention and deportation have raised questions about ICE’s practices, with immigration attorneys citing a lack of communication and transparency during the process.
Gutierrez and her children were ultimately briefly sent to a detention center in Phoenix and then deported to Colombia. They were reportedly moved between several facilities before their deportation, which has been described as chaotic and potentially deceptive. Nikolas De Bremaeker, managing attorney for the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership, criticized ICE for creating confusion that hindered legal attempts to contest the deportation.
Since their deportation, educators from the boy’s school have advocated for his return, highlighting the detrimental impact on his education and development without access to specialized support services. A teacher noted the trauma of detention for any individual, particularly for a young deaf child who has begun to learn a new language in a supportive environment. Thurmond has called on the newly appointed Department of Homeland Security secretary to intervene and facilitate the boy’s return to the U.S. for continued education and care.
