When Baby Omar* was released from the hospital, he and his mother were locked up in a freezing border patrol station cell. We stepped in and got them out.
Sketch by Marc Nelson
“They were very cruel to us. My baby and I had to sleep on the floor. It was freezing cold and I thought we would die there.”
Yessica*, newborn’s mother
Omar’s parents fled Cuba seeking safety. As they crossed the border, His mother, Yessica*, went into labor. She was taken to a U.S. hospital for a C-section, and after giving birth, she and her baby were locked away in a border patrol detention center. They could have been expelled to Mexico.
Omar was born an American citizen. It was illegal to hold him in immigration custody. And yet they were forcibly held for over 72 hours.
The conditions in detention were horrific. They were forced to sleep on the floor— a mother who just underwent surgery and newborn baby.
This was not only cruel but extremely dangerous. Six children have died in government custody between 2018 and 2019. The freezing cold cells at border patrol stations are dangerous for everyone, but especially for mothers recovering from birth and newborn babies.
We fight every day to stop this from happening ever again. We stepped in for this family and contacted an attorney. We reached out to the press. And, we got them out.
Your support and generous donations make success stories like this possible. Thank you.
*Pseudonyms