By Ricardo Lezama 
The recent deportation of a two-year-old U.S. citizen, identified as V.M.L., to Honduras alongside her Honduran-born mother and sister, has sparked significant outrage and discussion across social media platforms, including Threads.
According to reports, V.M.L. was born in New Orleans in 2023, making her a U.S. citizen by birth. Despite this, she was deported after a routine check-in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in New Orleans. ICE officials claim the mother consented to take her daughter with her, supported by a handwritten note.
However, U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty expressed serious concerns over the lack of due process, noting that the father’s emergency petition to retain custody was not adequately considered. The judge attempted to verify the mother’s wishes but was informed that the family had already been released in Honduras. The lack of due process is increasingly leading to reversals, speculation on contempt charges for low level ICE agents as well as a perception that fear amongst migrant populations is the real goal.
This incident has ignited a firestorm on threads, with users expressing outrage over the deportation of a U.S. citizen child without proper legal procedures. Many are questioning the actions of ICE and the broader implications for immigration enforcement policies. These type of cases has become a focal point for discussions on due process rights and the treatment of immigrant families under current U.S. immigration policies. More Americans are expressing disapproval of the manner and scope of deportations.
A hearing is scheduled for May 16 to address the matter further. The JusticeDepartment and the Department of Homeland Security have yet to comment on the incident.