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Texas teen with intellectual disability held 48 days in government custody

Oct 5, 2026·Location: TX

Texas teen with intellectual disability held 48 days in government custody
Photo via Mother Jones

A 15-year-old boy with an intellectual disability wandered away from his mother's fruit stand in Texas to find a bathroom and did not return; after an overnight search, authorities found him but failed to recognize him as the missing child or locate a guardian, so they contacted ICE, which sent him to Office of Refugee Resettlement custody. He remained in ORR care for 48 days despite his mother's pleas for his release, and developed appendicitis requiring emergency surgery while in custody.

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