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Three-year-old girl sexually abused in ORR custody, reunited with father after legal petition

May 7, 2026 · South Texas, TX

Three-year-old girl sexually abused in ORR custody, reunited with father after legal petition

A three-year-old girl was separated from her mother at the U.S.-Mexico border on September 16, 2025, and placed in federal immigration custody under the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). She was held in an ORR-funded foster home in Harlingen, Texas, where she was sexually abused by an older child in the home in November 2025. Her father, a legal permanent resident living in Chicago, filed a federal habeas corpus petition in February 2026 after ORR delayed reunification for five months despite his sponsor application being approved. ORR officials did not initially disclose the sexual abuse to the father. The girl was forensically examined and the allegations were reported to law enforcement. She was released to her father two days after the petition was filed.

Timeline

May 7, 2026Girl released to father two days after habeas corpus petition filed
Feb 2026Father files federal habeas corpus petition after five-month reunification delay; girl forensically examined and allegations reported to law enforcement
Nov 2025Girl sexually abused by older child in ORR-funded foster home in Harlingen, Texas
Sep 16, 2025Three-year-old girl separated from mother at U.S.-Mexico border and placed in ORR custody

Sources

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