The Trump Administration Is Trying to Target Immigrants Over Family Court Cases

"Should a person be deported because once, a decade and a half ago, they left their toddlers home alone for a half hour to buy them pajamas at Walmart? That's what the Trump administration is arguing in a little-noticed federal appeals court case being decided in California, with sweeping implications for both the immigration and child welfare systems."

"The responding officer issued Mendoza-Rivera and Ortega-Vasquez a misdemeanor citation, which they resolved with a guilty plea, a fine and probation. The officer stated in his report that the little boy and his 3-year-old sister were healthy and clean, that the apartment was well-kept and stocked with food, and that a neighbor said that the mother was usually home with the kids."

In 2010, undocumented farmworker Sotero Mendoza-Rivera and his girlfriend left their young children alone for approximately 30 minutes to purchase pajamas at a nearby Walmart in Oregon. Their toddler escaped the apartment and was found by a bystander. Police issued a misdemeanor citation resolved through guilty plea, fine, and probation. The officer documented the children were healthy and the home well-maintained. The Obama administration initiated deportation proceedings. The Trump administration now argues in federal appeals court that this incident warrants deportation, with a ruling expected soon. The case carries significant implications for both immigration and child welfare systems.

Read at Truthout