Three-Year Immigrant Child Released After Two Years of Detention

An immigration judge ordered the immediate release of a three-year-old immigrant child and his mother from a detention center in rural Pennsylvania on Monday, stating that it was one of the most sympathetic cases for release he had encountered in his career. The child’s release marks what will hopefully be a positive turn for immigrant minors, who are required to be freed as quickly as possible but have often suffered in detention centers for weeks, months, or even years.

In this case, three-year-old “Josue” and his mother, “Teresa,” were detained for more than 645 consecutive days in family detention centers, or “babyjails,” in Texas and Pennsylvania. Josue learned to walk and talk behind bars and his only memories are those formed within the walls of the Berks detention center.  Read More…