Despite being U.S. citizens, three children, a 4-year-old with stage 4 kidney cancer, their 7-year-old sister and a 2-year-old girl, were detained along with their families by immigration authorities in Louisiana and quickly sent to Honduras, according to a lawsuit filed on behalf of the families.

This is an example of what happens when the government focuses exclusively on deportation, and when the only thing that matters is the end result, you end up with unjust and unlawful deportations, Stephanie Alvarez-Jones, an attorney with the National Immigration Project, told NBC News.

This lawsuit was filed on behalf of the two mothers and their children in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana on July 31. The names of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit are pseudonyms to protect their identity and safety, the attorneys said. The case against the federal government is in its early stages, with the plaintiffs seeking a jury trial and damages, as well as to have their arrests and deportations declared unlawful and returned to the United States. This is an example of what happens when the government focuses exclusively on deportation, and when the end result is all that matters, you end up with unjust and unlawful deportations, said Stephanie Alvarez-Jones, staff attorney with the National Immigration Project. ICE's actions in this case are not only unlawful, but cruel and demonstrate a complete disregard for family values and the well-being of children, said Sirine Shebaya, executive director of the National Immigration Project. Immigration.

“No government agency should have the power to disappear families, ignore medical needs, and disregard its own policies and constitutional rights simply for unfettered law enforcement. Without accountability, violations like this will occur more frequently. With this lawsuit, we seek justice, accountability, and the immediate and safe return of these families to the United States.”

Thus, the lawsuit demands that ICE be held accountable for the illegal deportation of U.S. citizens and its disregard for the rights and safety of children. The plaintiffs are demanding their immediate return to the United States, recognition of their right to make custody decisions for their children, and compensation for the harm suffered by the families. In response, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the American children were not being "reported" and denied that the parents were not given a choice about their children's care before being sent to Honduras. "Rather than separating their families, ICE asked the mothers if they wanted to be deported with their children or if they preferred that ICE place them with a safe place of their choice," said Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. "In this case, the parents decided to take their children back to Honduras."