Alma Lopez Diaz had no idea that the routine trip to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office would change her life forever. On a spring day in 2023, she accompanied her two sons, Josue, 19, and Jose, 20, to a regular check-in with immigration authorities at the 26 Federal Plaza building in Manhattan. Alma, a mother of three, also brought her youngest son, Mateo, an 8-year-old with Moebius syndrome, a rare neurological condition that requires constant care.
The family, originally from El Salvador, had arrived in the U.S. in 2016 after fleeing gang violence and poverty. They had been living in Georgia and were actively working on their immigration status, with Josue and Jose seeking green cards through Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, which is available to minors who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent. Their father, whom they had seen only once since they were toddlers, had abandoned them. They had been through various setbacks, including a denied asylum request, but had managed to avoid detention by regularly attending their ICE check-ins.
But this time, things went differently. Alma recalls sitting in the ICE waiting room, nervously clutching the wallet of one of her sons when an officer came out with both sons’ personal belongings. Alma’s heart sank. She had always attended the check-ins as a family, and never had she expected that her sons, who had no criminal records, would be detained. Their lawyer later affirmed that the brothers had never even faced school disciplinary issues. Their pastor, in a letter to the authorities, described the brothers as “free from vices” and deeply committed to their church community. So why were they being targeted now?
The officer’s words were chilling: “They are not going to be returning.” Alma was left in shock, unable to even speak a final word to her sons as they were led away. She tried to catch a glimpse of them through a curtain, but they were already gone. The room was filled with other mothers and children, and Alma, now alone with Mateo, was left in confusion and disbelief.
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The case of Josue and Jose is not unique. Under the Trump administration, more and more individuals without criminal backgrounds are being detained. ICE’s new policies and aggressive enforcement have made it clear that simply checking in with authorities, something immigrants had been told to do, is no longer safe. Camille Mackler, the CEO of Immigrant ARC, explained that the agency is increasingly using these check-ins as opportunities to ramp up deportation numbers. “When they can deport, they’re deporting,” she said.
The brothers were not only detained despite their clean records but were also in the middle of pursuing a path to legal status. Under Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, their petition was based on their father’s abandonment and neglect. A New York Family Court had already ruled that it was not in their best interests to be returned to El Salvador. Yet, despite this legal context, ICE proceeded with their detention.
The situation has become increasingly erratic, with decisions about detention seemingly arbitrary. “It really depends on when you check in, who’s the supervisor of the day,” said their lawyer, Ala Amoachi. “You may be picked up. You may not be. You may be given an ankle bracelet.” The brothers were unfortunate in their timing. After being detained, they were sent to a federal facility in Buffalo before being transferred to a facility in Louisiana. The conditions were grueling, and the journey long. Eventually, their deportation was set for the same day as Josue’s high school graduation.
After arriving in El Salvador, the brothers were met by a relative who took them in. Their family in the U.S. was left in turmoil. Alma, particularly concerned about her youngest son Mateo, set up a GoFundMe to help bring her sons back to safety. The emotional toll of the separation has been devastating. Alma tearfully reflected, “I don’t know what would be the next time I would be able to see them again.” The trauma of the family’s separation has left them reeling, with no certainty about when, or if, they will ever reunite.
Alma’s heartbreak is a reflection of a broader trend in the current immigration climate: families who had lived for years in the U.S., contributing to their communities, are being torn apart. For the Trejo Lopez brothers, their dream of a better life in America has ended, leaving them to navigate a new, uncertain future in a country they barely remember.
