Immigration Group Halts Lawsuit Against Trump Administration

An advocacy organization focusing on illegal immigration decided to stop its lawsuits against the Trump administration on Thursday. This decision followed claims that the administration intended to deport a two-year-old U.S. citizen.

The National Immigration Project, which leans to the left, had filed a lawsuit on April 24 concerning the detainment of 11-year-old Jenny Carolina Lopez-Bilera and her two-year-old mother. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicated that Lopez Villera had entered the country illegally three times before agreeing to take her American-born daughter back to Honduras.

According to the lawsuit from the National Immigration Project, both Lopez Villera and her daughter had already received deportation orders. A DHS press release from Saturday stated that the removal order dated back to 2020, following the mother’s first illegal entry with her eldest daughter. Notably, two additional illegal entries occurred during the Biden administration.

DHS officials addressed the issue on social media, asserting that stories claiming the deportation of American children were misleading. They contended that such claims were incorrect and emphasized the importance of accurate reporting.

In a letter submitted to the court, Lopez Villera outlined her intention to bring her American citizen daughter, Valentina Mendes Lopez, to Honduras. The Trump administration had noted that two other individuals in the U.S. had sought to become legal custodians of the child, but they failed to validate their identities. The government argued that placing the child under the care of individuals who couldn’t demonstrate their identity could result in greater danger.

The DHS labeled the claims as “unfounded litigation” and highlighted that only the National Immigration Project was involved in the court records, despite the ACLU being mentioned. Both DHS and the ACLU did not promptly respond to inquiries from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The National Immigration Project is associated with the National Lawyers Guild, which often supports left-leaning causes in the legal arena. As of now, they have not responded to requests for comments on the matter.

On April 30, the group issued a statement accusing ICE of making “meaningless decisions” while deporting parents together with their children. There have also been repeated claims from the ACLU regarding the deportation of children of American citizens.

Meanwhile, DHS reiterated its stance, pointing out that the discussion around the supposed deportation of American children was largely driven by media speculation.