Immigrant teenagers are detained in a raid while buying food
Manuel and Luis fled and hid under a bridge upon seeing ICE agents
The arrest of two teenagers in San Antonio during a federal operation has generated concern among community organizations and immigration advocates.
According to FOX San Antonio and the Texas Immigration Coalition, the minors, Manuel, 16, and his cousin Luis, 15, ended up in custody after accidentally encountering a police intervention in the northern part of the city while making a routine trip to buy food.
An operation that sowed fear among minorities who grew up in the US
According to the same media outlet, the boys were accompanied by Manuel's 20-year-old older brother when agents from the FBI, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) surrounded the area as part of a larger operation.
The terrified teenagers hid under a nearby bridge and called home saying they didn't know if they would ever see their families again.
The mothers, quoted by FOX San Antonio, explained that their sons grew up in San Antonio after both families fled Honduras years ago due to gang violence. They now fear that the minors could be sent to a country they don't know. One of the mothers said her son was crying on the phone, repeatedly saying he didn't know if they would ever be reunited.
What does the law say and what could they face now?
According to statements given to FOX San Antonio by immigration attorney Erinaldy Agosto, the teenagers will likely be transferred to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), as happens in most cases where minors are taken into federal custody.
Agosto warned that the process for a family member to claim a minor can take more than six months, and now represents a high risk for undocumented relatives, since the agency must share their information with ICE.
According to the attorney, even people with work permits or active immigration cases are being detained during recent operations.
which increases the uncertainty for entire families.
The youths remain detained
According to reports from FOX San Antonio and NBC New York, as of the time of this report,The two teenagers remain in federal custody while their families seek legal representation. Authorities have not yet revealed how many people were arrested or the specific reasons for the nighttime operation that resulted in minors raised in the United States being arrested.
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