The Trump government landed in hot water again as ICE reportedly deported a 5-year-old, who was born and raised in America, to Honduras, along with her mother.
For Genesis Ester Gutiérrez Castellanos, January 11, 2026, became no less than a nightmare, as the little girl was sent far away from the familiar faces she grew up with in Austin, Texas.
Genesis and her mother, Karen Guadalupe Gutiérrez Castellanos, were sent off to the Central American country she never even visited before.
According to The Mirror US a deportation order was issued against Karen back in 2019, long before Genesis was even born. Despite Karen’s repeated pleas to let her daughter stay behind as she was a US citizen, ICE showed no mercy.
Monsters.
The leaders should be worried when they are out of power
ICE deports 5-year-old US citizen from Texas to Honduras, group says https://t.co/CPNOPoSuGU
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@AdamKinzinger) January 17, 2026
Karen is a survivor of domestic violence. After separating from Génesis’s father, Karen applied for a U-visa, granted to non-citizen victims of aggravating assaults. However, her case still remains pending.
In a conversation with The Guardian, Karen broke down, saying, “I kept telling them ‘the girl was born here.’ They didn’t care, they picked up the child, just put a jumper on her and told me to get into the car with her.”
Federal judge rules Minnesota 5-year-old and his father detained in Texas cannot be imminently deported. https://t.co/4nSbur3aNw
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) January 27, 2026
The Mirror US reports that 26-year-old Karen, who hails from Santa Cruz de Yojoa, a small city in Honduras, had been working as a cleaner to raise her daughter. She migrated to the US in 2018 in search of a better life.
Karen refused to leave the United States despite official orders. However, Genesis was born in 2020 in the United States, which makes her a citizen.
The mother-daughter duo were made to stay in a hotel almost 80 miles away from their home for a week. Amid uncertainties, they were not given any access to any lawyer or allowed to stand for any hearing before any judge. Soon after, they were flown off to Honduras.
Karen was caught by the ICE agents earlier this year when she was giving shelter to a friend who also experienced domestic violence. The police went to check up on a reported disturbance at the property when the alleged abuser arrived and found out an active order against Karen.
She was reported to the ICE, and not long after that, she was detained. Karen recalled living in fear for her life in the US as she repeatedly felt like being stalked. Her heartbreaking story is reality for many immigrant families in the US.
Genesis’ case is not the first time Immigration and Customs Enforcement targeted a child. 5-year-old Minnesota pre-schooler Liam Ramos and his father also fell victim to ICE’s harsh raids. However, a federal judge has managed to block the deportation for the time being.
