A Houston mother says she’s been separated from her autistic 15-year-old son after he went missing last weekend and was later detained by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
Emmanuel Gonzalez Garcia was reported missing by his mother, Maria, on October 4. He was found the next day when Houston Police Department (HPD) officers and local firefighters responded to a welfare check, a police spokesperson told The Independent.
When officers located Emmanuel, he couldn’t provide contact details for his family and told them he was “homeless” and “from another country.” After exhausting all other options, HPD contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for assistance.
An ICE spokesperson said the agency worked with HPD to help identify Emmanuel’s family but emphasized that he was never in ICE custody.
“When no family could be identified, ICE helped HPD place the minor with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement,” the spokesperson said. “At no point was the minor in ICE custody.”
Detained Despite Not Being Unaccompanied
Emmanuel is now being held at an ORR facility for unaccompanied youth, even though he is not technically unaccompanied, according to Cesar Espinosa, executive director of FIEL Houston, an immigrant rights group assisting Maria.
Maria spent days searching for her son while FIEL Houston circulated missing person flyers. She was finally notified on Friday that Emmanuel was at the ORR center and was able to FaceTime him for 30 minutes after verifying her identity.
Espinosa said that Maria and Emmanuel are undocumented immigrants from Nicaragua. Because Maria isn’t a U.S. citizen, she cannot currently regain custody of her son and must find a sponsor, a process that could take weeks or even months.
Mother’s Concerns and Legal Efforts
Espinosa said Emmanuel appeared physically unharmed but noted that Maria believes her son is “afraid or unsure what’s happening.”
“There are no visible signs of trauma, but his mom says he’s usually more talkative,” Espinosa explained. “She thinks he’s scared or confused.”
Emmanuel, who is nonverbal in English and partially nonverbal in Spanish, can only communicate basic information such as his name, birthdate, and nationality. Espinosa said it was “surprising” that he told officers he was homeless, as he doesn’t fully understand such concepts.
Maria still doesn’t know where Emmanuel is being held or whether he has access to therapy or support services.
“Right now, we are focused on getting Emmanuel and his mom the correct legal help they need to reunite them,” Espinosa said. “That’s our priority.”
Calls for Accountability
FIEL Houston plans to demand answers during Tuesday’s City Hall meeting, questioning how HPD failed to identify Emmanuel after he was reported missing just a day earlier.
“The [Houston Police Department] says they spent about four hours with Emmanuel,” Espinosa said. “How could they not radio their Missing Persons Unit, who had the report?”
The organization is urging both local authorities and federal agencies to review how the situation was handled and to expedite Emmanuel’s reunification with his mother.
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