Luis Romero/AP
“It’s urgent,” Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) tweeted just after 9 o’clock Wednesday morning. A Honduran family—a mother and her five-year-old son—were about to be deported after seeking asylum in the United States. Back in their native country, the woman had witnessed the murder of her cousin and was pursued by gangs. She fled with her son and arrived at the southern border more than a year and a half ago and was detained.
“This child and his mother fled their home country in fear of their lives, and face a real possibility of violence in being returned there,” Casey wrote in a letter calling on President Donald Trump to intervene. He continued tweeting about the case, but later in the day, he received “last word” from Immigration and Customs Enforcement: The family was gone.
The family’s attorney, Bridget Cambria, told NBC Philadelphia that she was in court arguing their case before a federal judge Wednesday morning when she was notified that they had been deported. The child might have been eligible for special immigrant juvenile status, which would have protected him from deportation and may have allowed him to apply for legal permanent residency.
The mother and son had been held for more than 16 months in a detention center for immigrant families in Berks County, Pennsylvania, after being detained at the southern border in 2015. Families held at the facility have gone on hunger strike to protest being confined indefinitely while they waited for courts to decide whether they would be granted asylum.
Here’s Casey’s daylong tweetstorm on the case and his attempt to get White House officials to stop the deportation:
Twitter: it’s urgent. I just found out that a young child & her mother who came to U.S. seeking refuge will be sent back to Honduras today.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017
Targeted for death, this mother fled with her 5yr old child. The child is potentially eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017
The gangs will target this mother and her child the moment they land in Honduras, yet Trump admin insists on this cruel policy.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017
I’ve just placed a call to @DHSgov Sec. telling him to stop this. I need you to tweet @DHSgov & tell them to protect this mother and child.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017
They came to the U.S. because they believed in what’s on the Statue of Liberty- they believed in the promise of this nation.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017
.@DHSgov and @realDonaldTrump should work to actually secure our border and fix our immigration system and stop this nonsense.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017
.@DHSgov know the stakes for this child and his mother. Do the right thing.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017
I’ve voted to double the number of border patrol agents, add 700 miles of fencing and mandate 24-hour surveillance of the border.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017
Just got off the phone with @Reince45, he promised that they are looking into it. I’ll hold him accountable to do the right thing.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017
If this 5yr old and his mother are on the flight with a layover, then the Admin can still save them from this potential death sentence.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017
Admin refuses to tell me whether they were placed on a direct flight or one with a layover. Infuriating. @flightaware is interesting, fwiw
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017
Yup, that’s right @DHSgov likely knew paperwork was in hand & rushed removal just because they could.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017
Just confirmed with @DHSgov: only the White House can order this reversed now. It’s on @Reince45 & @realDonaldTrump to help this family.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017
.@realDonaldTrump We are better than this. You have the power to help this child return to safety and to help the other families in a similar situation. pic.twitter.com/bIyNPSN8DI
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017
Still no definitive answer on 5yr old & mother. Last word from @ICEgov on the family: “gone.” This is a profound outrage.
— Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) May 3, 2017
