Being deported is perhaps one of the biggest fears of any person held in an immigration detention facility. Once deportation actually takes place, returning to Maryland or any other state may seem like an impossibility. Yet, for one mother and daughter, deportation led to a court order to have the pair returned to the United States.
The 34-year-old mother and her 12-year-old daughter were living in a family detention center. They had been in the center for over a year. The two were awoken at 3 a.m. and taken to a plane. They were placed on the plane bound for Panama City and, from there, were to be flown back to Guatemala City, Guatemala.
A judge ordered that the two be intercepted and returned to the United States. The court has been asked to block the deportation as the woman’s case was pending an appeal. The two are reported to be the victims of domestic violence, and an emergency request to stop the deportation was filed. Now, authorities have asked for helped with the task of tracking down the mother and daughter in Guatemala so the legal process can unfold in the United States.
Anyone facing deportation in Maryland or elsewhere may want to be fully aware of the timeline for such an events. The appeals process and steps taken to prevent a deportation can be complex and easily lead to confusion, particularly for those for whom English is not a first language. Any appeal based on claims of domestic violence or persecution if returned to a native country may result in a person or family being able to remain in the United States while the process unfolds.
Source: sacbee.com, “Court orders feds to find, return deported mother and daughter”, Franco Ordo??ez, June 19, 2015