ICE Under Fire After 4-Year-Old Boy Is Taken With His Mum and Allegedly Moved to Texas Despite Judge's Order

A four-year-old boy was reportedly taken into custody alongside his mother by masked US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. It reportedly happened during a routine immigration appointment in the City of Industry, California, on 3 November.

An account circulating online subsequently alleged that the child had been transferred to a detention facility in Texas despite a judge's order. However, neither the alleged transfer nor the existence or terms of such an order have been independently verified.

ICE Detention at a Routine Immigration Appointment

The incident reportedly took place at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Application Support Centre on Colima Road. The mother reportedly attended a biometrics appointment connected to an immigration case.

In the footage, a woman filming the encounter challenges an agent, asking: 'Are you proud of this? You just took a kid!' She also demands to know: 'Where are you putting the kids?'

The woman, identified in the accompanying material as Mia, reportedly said the mother wanted a family friend who was already at the centre to look after the boy. However, agents allegedly refused and detained the child alongside his mother.

The available account does not explain why the friend was not permitted to take responsibility for the child or whether alternative arrangements were considered.

Texas Transfer Claim and Alleged Court Order

The account further alleged that ICE had 'violated the judge's order' by transferring the boy to Texas, where he was reportedly being held at a detention facility.

A writ of habeas corpus is a legal procedure through which a person can challenge the lawfulness of their detention before a court. However, filing a petition does not establish that a judge has issued an order, nor does it demonstrate that authorities have breached one.

No court docket, copy of the alleged order, statement from the child's lawyer or detention facility record was provided in the material reviewed. No official statement from ICE or USCIS confirming the circumstances of the detention or the child's whereabouts was available.

IBTimes UK cannot independently verify the alleged transfer to Texas or the claim that immigration officials disregarded a judicial order.

ICE Enforcement at USCIS Fingerprinting Centres Raises Concerns

ICE agents have reportedly targeted several USCIS fingerprinting centres across Los Angeles County, with multiple detentions reported in recent weeks. Independent journalist Izzy Ramirez reported on 31 October that at least three people were detained at the City of Industry facility on 29 October at around 9.13am. Similar operations were reported at centres on South La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles and in Gardena.

The Colima Road facility had also featured in earlier reports. L.A. TACO reported that three people were taken into custody there on 25 September, while community accounts described the reported detention of an Asian mother and daughter on 13 October. On 2 November, a Stop ICE Alerts contributor also reported an arrest at the same location.

The repeated incidents have raised concerns among immigrant families who must attend government-mandated appointments to progress their cases. For those who have waited months or years for biometrics appointments, the prospect of encountering immigration officers at the very offices they are instructed to visit presents a difficult dilemma.