2 Central American fathers reunited with sons recount moment of separation

Three immigrant fathers were reunited with their children at the Annunciation House shelter in South El Paso.

All three were reunited just hours before a federal judge’s order to reunite all children under five with their parents.

Two of those fathers decided to speak with the media because they wanted to tell the story of the moment their child was taken from them by immigration agents.

Pablo Ortiz came to the US in April with his three year old son and was detained by immigration officials. He was told he would be deported, but his son was taken from him.

“I got sad, crying there. I was left alone,” said Pablo Ortiz in Spanish.

Ortiz told ICE officials he would not leave without his son. He and Andre only spoke three times in the three months they were separated.

Ortiz said his son was unable to communicate with social workers. “He cannot communicate well,” said Ortiz, referring to his son, who primarily speaks an indigenous dialect from Guatemala.

Roger, who’s not using his last name, says both he and his son were given asylum, but separately.

The Honduran asylum seeker did not react well and even demanded to see his son. He said his demands led to a physical altercation where he claims he was struck by officials. Roger said he fought back.

He says his time away from his son led to moments of desperation and deep despair.

“A lot of suffering, a lot of anxiety, a lot desperation and that desperation can cause anyone to do just about anything,” said Roger in Spanish.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Roger said he “was completely traumatized.” The father said, “Every time I spoke to him, he would start crying. Where are the rights of children? I thought children were supposed to be a priority here in the United States.”

Roger told the AP he planned to live with relatives in the United States as his asylum case is processed, which could take years.

Late last month, U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw in San Diego set a 14-day deadline to reunite children under 5 with their parents and a 30-day deadline for older children. He asked the government to return to court Friday to give an update on how many families had been reunited.

In trying to meet the first deadline, the government began with a list of 102 children potentially eligible to be reunited and whittled that to 75 through screening that included DNA testing done by swabbing the inside of the cheek.