A mother and her three children who were detained in northern New York last month and transported to Texas are now being returned to New York, officials confirmed on Monday.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who had previously criticized the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for detaining the family, calling the move “just plain cruel,” said she was informed of their return by Tom Homan, President Trump’s advisor on border policy.
“I can’t imagine the trauma this family has endured. I hope they can begin to heal now that they’re heading home,” Hochul said in a statement.
The children, according to Hochul, include a third grader and two teenagers. Immigration advocates stated the family was following proper procedures in their immigration case when they were detained by ICE in late March.
Their removal from the New York community near the U.S.-Canada border sparked public outrage.
“New York has always been willing to collaborate with federal immigration authorities to target gang members and violent offenders. But I will never support harsh actions that rip children from school or tear families apart,” Hochul added.
This incident comes amid the Trump administration’s broader and often controversial immigration enforcement efforts across the U.S.
According to CBS affiliate WWNY-TV, ICE agents carried out the operation on March 27 at a dairy farm in Hounsfield, New York.
Authorities were reportedly searching for a South African man facing federal child pornography charges. Officials said eight individuals, including the mother and her children, were detained during the sweep.
State Assemblyman Scott Gray, who represents the area, said Monday that the family had been released following an investigative interview and coordination with an ICE witness coordinator.
“ICE made the independent decision to release the family while their criminal investigation remains ongoing,” Gray said.
ICE has not responded to a request for comment from CBS News.
The New York Immigration Coalition, an advocacy group, confirmed the family was initially taken to a detention facility in Texas.
Though the organization did not identify the mother or her children, its president, Murad Awawdeh, said the family had been attending their immigration hearings and following legal procedures.
“We’re supposed to be a country that upholds the rule of law. Yet, while this family was complying with the immigration process, ICE agents detained them and sent them thousands of miles away from their home and community,” Awawdeh said shortly after the incident.
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