A 10-year-old boy from Venezuela had to reportedly represent himself in an immigration court in Texas, with no lawyer present. He is now facing deportation to Ecuador.
“I was so scared because it was my first time in court,” Wilfredo Gomez told N+ Univision, about his appearance at a Houston, Texas, court last week, reports the Daily Mail.
Wilfredo was separated from his mother, Nexoli Gomez, when she was detained at a Houston traffic stop in December. She reportedly had all the documents to prove that she is a legal immigrant in the U.S. She currently remains in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
Wilfredo is currently under the legal guardianship of Nexoli’s former boss, Marife Mosquera.
ICE take 10 year old boy to court to deport him—all alone without even a lawyer.
He urinated on himself and wet all his clothing—no one offered him a change for many hours.
"I was scared because it was my first time in court," he said.
Separated from his mom for 4 months now… pic.twitter.com/eE6OjU2uJA
— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨💻 (@LongTimeHistory) April 30, 2026
Both Nexoli and Wilfredo reportedly have pending asylum cases. But the DHS informed Mosquera that, because of Nexoli’s arrest, Wilfredo’s case is now independent.
The department reportedly wants to deport Wilfredo to Ecuador, a third country where he has no family or acquaintances. He has never been to the country either. Mosquera revealed that she recently received a letter from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) informing her that deportation proceedings against Wilfredo had begun.
Mosquera has requested more information from the department regarding his deportation. But in the meantime, the child has lost a lot of weight, and his school grades have plummeted as well.
“She used to encourage me a lot,” Wilfredo said, talking about his mother. “She still encourages me, but it’s not the same.”
View this post on Instagram
Wilfredo’s legal guardian is worried that during his next hearing in May, ICE might detain the minor, put him in a shelter, and eventually deport him to Ecuador.
Wilfredo’s case has caught the attention of many users on social media, including Texas Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro.
Taking to X, Castro urged ICE agents to release Nexoli and also to stop the deportation case against Wilfredo.
“Wilfredo is 10 years old. Last week, he represented himself in immigration court,’ Castro posted to X on Wednesday. “His mother, Nexoli, was detained in Houston and has been locked up and away from her son since December.”
Castro then added that the DHS wants to deport 10-year-old Wilfredo to Ecuador, “a place he has never been and knows no one.”
“Nexoli has a work permit and was trying to do everything the right way,” Castro wrote, adding, “‘ICE must release her and stop its case to deport Wilfredo immediately. He should be treated like a kid—not a criminal.”
Wilfredo is 10 years old. Last week, he represented himself in immigration court. His mother, Nexoli, was detained in Houston and has been locked up and away from her son since December. Now, DHS wants to send him to Ecuador—a place he has never been and knows no one. Nexoli has… pic.twitter.com/PnXZ9ZAn4N
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) April 29, 2026
Many users on X have slammed the DHS’s decision. “@ICEgov committing human right violations left and right. Not one single person can say a 10-year old deserves this and yet also have a soul,” wrote a user.
They added, “How is this where we are? Asylum seekers should be welcomed here, since -afterall- the USA was founded by those seeking asylum from UK!!”
A second user chimed in, “@ICEgov @DHSgov @SenateGOP are deporting 10 year olds without their parents to a country they’ve never been to, alone. This is who we are now. Deporting children. Alone. To a third country. No wonder the world hates us.”
