Two-year-old detained at immigration facility stops eating, separated from father
Jun 9, 2026·Location: California
Kaleth, a 2-year-old boy seeking asylum with his mother Joani, was detained in March 2026 after attending a required immigration check-in appointment in California. His father was handcuffed and taken to an adult detention facility in California while Kaleth and Joani were transferred to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas. Without his father, Kaleth became despondent and stopped eating for 12 days, vomited when forced to eat, and stopped having bowel movements—conditions doctors attributed to depression. Kaleth and his mother were released in April 2026 and reunited with his father, with reports indicating the boy is recovering well.
Timeline
Sources
- More than 500 toddlers and babies detained in US immigration crackdown
the-independent.com·Jun 11, 2026·archived copy
- 25 Babies and Toddlers Are in ICE Custody on an Average Day
the74million.org·Jun 13, 2026·archived copy
leelalinbkk.com·Jun 13, 2026·archived copy
- Trump Has Put 500 Babies and Toddlers In Immigration Jails
themarshallproject.org·Jun 9, 2026·archived copy
- ICE Snatches Record Numbers of Babies Under Trump
The Daily Beast·Jun 10, 2026·archived copy
- wionews.com
- Kids in ICE Detention Up 10x in Trump’s Second Term
themarshallproject.org·Apr 6, 2026·archived copy
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