Rep. Swalwell decries deportation of deaf child, has staff deliver hearing aids in Colombia

"The Bay Area Democrat said that his staff had traveled to Colombia to return hearing aids to the boy. According to his family's attorney, Nikolas De Bremaeker, the boy was separated from the medical devices during the deportation process. Swalwell's staff is now working with De Bremaeker to try to return the family to the U.S. on humanitarian parole and re-enroll 6-year-old Joseph in the California School for the Deaf in Fremont."

"Rodriguez Gutierrez was under a supervisory order and required to periodically check in with an immigration officer or face deportation for failing to report, according to De Bremaeker. Last week, she believed she was showing up for a regular check-in with her 4- and 6-year-old children when the three of them were deported, he said."

"De Bremaeker said he was then given misleading information about the family's location, which he alleged violated their due process and limited his ability to try to legally intervene and block the deportation."

A 6-year-old deaf boy and his family were deported to Colombia after appearing for what they believed was a routine immigration check-in. The mother, an undocumented immigrant from Colombia, was under a supervisory order requiring periodic check-ins. During the deportation process, the boy was separated from his hearing aids. Rep. Eric Swalwell's staff traveled to Colombia to return the medical devices and is now working to bring the family back through humanitarian parole and re-enroll the child in the California School for the Deaf. The Department of Homeland Security defended the deportation, citing the mother's illegal entry in 2022. The family's attorney alleges they received misleading information about the family's location, violating due process rights.

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