Weeks after they were released by ICE, parents yet to be reunited with children

A mother and father, both undocumented Central American migrants, told the media Monday they have yet to be reunited with their children after Immigration and Customs Enforcement released the parents into the custody of The Annunciation House in El Paso.

Mario, of Honduras; and Digna, of El Salvador, told the media they arrived at the El Paso shelter on June 24, 2018 with several other undocumented parents. Weeks later, they are the only parents yet to be reunited with their children.

“Please don’t make us suffer anymore because what happened to us was an injustice,” said Mario, separated from his 10-year-old daughter Fabiola. “It was a devastating blow, to be separated from your child, the person you love the most.”

Digna’s 9-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter are sheltered 10 blocks away from the The Annunciation House. They were asked not to disclose the location of the shelter for the safety of the children. The family was separated May 30, 2018 after coming to US from El Salvador. They crossed the border into El Paso on May 29th.

Digna has visited them for an hour a week on three occasions. “I see them and I feel like they’re not mine – because of all the rules,” the mother said, “They tell me the want to be with me now and they no longer want to be at the shelter.”

Digna said her children tell her they are well taken care of, but would rather be with her. “It’s like they are not free,” she said, adding she was not allowed to take a photo of her children during one of her visits. She wanted a photo so she could at least see them while they remain separated.

Digna said when she meets with her children, they are never alone, there is someone with them when they meet. She did not know she was going to be separated at the border. When asked if she would have come to the US if she knew they were going to be separated, the woman said she could not answer. “It’s an impossible question to answer,” she said.

The mother from El Salvador told the media she has already been fingerprinted and ICE is waiting for the results to be reunited with her children. She is upset because other parents, who reportedly did not submit fingerprints, have already been reunited with their children.

Mario told the media he met with his daughter briefly last Tuesday. “Thank God I was able to hold her in my arms and kiss her,” he said, “It was her birthday and I was able to buy her a hamburger and I told her not to forget she is my princess and I would get her a better present later.”

The shelter where the girl is staying was not revealed at the request of social workers and immigration authoirities.

Mario said they were separated on June 11, 2018. When they crossed the border, he was told he was going to be jailed because he broke the law by entering the country illegally. Mario was released on June 24, 2018.

“I have seen other parents who have been reunited with their children and that concerns me, because I think bad things, like ‘has daughter has been kidnaped?’ I am very concerned,” Mario said, “The social worker tells me my daughter is very beautiful and I ask myself, ‘could it be possible she wants to keep my daughter?'”

Annunciation House Director Ruben Garcia told reporters Monday the U.S. government has begun transporting children in a “tremendous amount of airline flights” to be reunited with their parents in some cities.

Garcia also said the facility is preparing to take in as many as 100 families each day as a July 26 court-ordered deadline approaches to reunite children ages 5 to 17 with their parents.

Garcia says he’s learned that future reunifications will happen inside select Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities before families are released together pending deportation and asylum proceedings.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ARTICLE