“The family should stay together,” their pastor said, as ICE confirmed they would be housed together during detainment.
A Syracuse mother and her four children, including three U.S.-born minors, were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday after voluntarily reporting to the agency’s office.
Pastor Paul Reynoso of La Vid Verdadera Church said the family is being sent to Texas after ICE arrested the father at their home last Friday. The detainment letter arrived a day later.
Despite presenting legal filings, ICE required the family to report. The children, ages 13, 10, 9, and 6, attend Syracuse City Schools.
“We offered to keep the children with us, but she decided to keep the family together,” Reynoso said. “That’s good. The family should stay together.”
The Guatemalan family has lived in the U.S. for over a decade.