HUMSI — Human Security Initiative

Human Impact Project

A living database documenting reported immigration enforcement incidents and their human impact.

U.S. citizen twins deported to Guatemala, federal court orders immediate return

Mar 11, 2026 · Orlando, FL, Guatemala

U.S. citizen twins deported to Guatemala, federal court orders immediate return

On March 9, 2026, ICE detained and deported two 12-year-old twin sisters who are U.S. citizens born in Orlando, Florida, after their mother attended a scheduled immigration appointment at an ICE facility. ICE invoked a "family unity" policy to take the children into custody and deport them to Guatemala. The mother had previously submitted paperwork requesting the children remain with their grandmother, though ICE stated she verbally requested to take them with her. A federal court granted a habeas corpus petition filed by the grandmother, ordering the children's immediate return to the United States at ICE's expense and restraining ICE from rearresting them.

Timeline

Mar 11, 2026Federal court granted habeas corpus petition, ordered children's immediate return to United States at ICE's expense, and restrained ICE from rearresting them
Mar 9, 2026Twin sisters detained by ICE at facility in Orlando during mother's scheduled immigration appointment and deported to Guatemala on same day

Sources

More incidents in Florida