Family With 2 US Citizen Children Deported by ICE After Traffic Stop

A week after a traffic stop by Texas state troopers, Denisse Parra Vargas and her three children—including two whom are U.S. citizens—have been deported, according to a local immigration advocacy nonprofit group and immigration attorneys.

Newsweek has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), two attorneys related to the case, and a nonprofit group, via email on Thursday.

Why It Matters

The family’s detention and subsequent deportation comes amid an immigration crackdown under the Trump administration. President Donald Trump vowed to prevent undocumented immigrants with criminal histories or backgrounds from entering and staying in the U.S. He has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history and has detained and deported thousands of people since retaking office.

The administration has been under fire after several other U.S. citizen children have been removed from the country. Government officials maintained that the children were not forcibly removed but accompanied their undocumented mothers, who had been deported.

The Trump administration has been accused of disregarding due process protections, especially for vulnerable groups, such as the U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants. The president and his supporters say their efforts are necessary to deter illegal immigration and remove criminals from the country quickly.

What To Know

After Texas state troopers pulled over Vargas and her husband Omar in Austin on Thursday, May 1, for expired license tags, the pair were turned over to ICE. Omar was taken into custody immediately, with The New Republic reporting that he was deported to Mexico shortly after. Vargas was dismissed with an ankle monitor and allowed to pick up her children from school.

On Tuesday, May 6, she arrived at an immigration appointment with her three children, ages 9, 5 and 4, two of whom are U.S. citizens. The nonprofit Grassroots Leadership reported that she, and all her children, were then taken into custody and transferred to Laredo, Texas.

Daniel Hatoum, an attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project, told local KUT News that Vargas believed her appointment was “for the benefit of her partner,” adding that, “ she went with her three children, and ICE decided to arrest them all.” There have recently been a spate of similar incidents reported, with individuals attending immigration appointments that have led to arrests and subsequent detentions.

Grassroots Leadership says Vargas called the organization to inform them that her and her family have been deported to Mexico, where Vargas is from.

What People Are Saying

Annette Price, Executive Director of Grassroots Leadership, said in a May 7 statement: “This is not just a deportation, it’s the potential erasure of an entire family, including two children born in this country. This is incredibly traumatizing for the children, and our community deserves answers. This family deserves dignity, due process, and to remain in Austin where they belong.”

Cori Hash, a senior staff attorney for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, told KVUE: “These actions are clearly illegal and we should all be concerned that ICE continues to detain and deport U.S. citizen children and begs the question of who is safe from their constant and ever-evolving disregard for the law.”

Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin previously told Newsweek regarding a different deportation case: “Parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children or ICE will place the children with someone the parent designates…We take our responsibility to protect children seriously and will continue to work with federal law enforcement to ensure that children are safe and protected.”

“The Trump Administration is giving parents in this country illegally the opportunity to self deport and take control of their departure process with the potential ability to return the legal, right way and come back to live the American dream. CBP Home is free and for all mobile devices.”

What Happens Next

It remains unclear what legal steps would be required to bring the two U.S. citizens back to the country, or if they were offered to stay with relatives stateside. It is difficult for those who have been deported to return back to the U.S.