A mother and her three children were deported from the Austin area Tuesday, the family's lawyer said.
Daniel Hatoum, an attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project, said Denisse Parra Vargas is from Mexico and is undocumented. She has three kids — aged 9, 5 and 4 — two of whom are U.S. citizens.
Hatoum learned about the case from advocates at Grassroots Leadership. The nonprofit organization got involved after Vargas was stopped in North Austin on Thursday for driving with expired tags.
She and her partner were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Hatoum said Vargas was released later that day with an ankle monitor; her partner remained in ICE custody.
Vargas was told to report to a processing center in Pflugerville on Tuesday. Her attorney and advocates with Grassroots Leadership said she thought she was going in for a routine check-in.
"They seem to have convinced her that her going was for the benefit of her partner as well," Hatoum said. " So she went with her three children, and ICE decided to arrest them all."
After about 24 hours of searching for the family, advocates with Grassroots Leadership said they located them Wednesday in Mexico.
"This is incredibly traumatizing for the children, and our community deserves answers," Annette Price, executive director of Grassroots Leadership, said in a press release. "This family deserves dignity, due process, and to remain in Austin where they belong."
Hatoum said there may have been relatives willing to keep the children in the U.S., but it's unclear if Vargas was offered that option.
KUT reached out to ICE about the case, but had not yet heard back.
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