On Thursday, we shared the urgent news about Wildin Acosta, a North Carolina teenager facing imminent deportation to Honduras. Unfortunately, last night, the Immigration Court issued a decision denying Wildin’s request for a stay of removal. Because the decision was issued after close of business, Wildin’s counsel was unable file a stay request and appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals, which would have stayed his deportation.
Shortly thereafter, ICE Director Saldaña denied Wildin’s request for prosecutorial discretion and stated that ICE would be moving forward with his deportation.
Said Julia Mao, Enforcement Fellow at National Immigration Project, “You know the system is rigged when ICE tries to fast track a deportation when it is clear that the person was not given an opportunity to file an appeal or stay. It is clear that ICE Director Saldaña lives in a world where the only review that matters is a secret review stripped of due process.”
Congressman G.K. Butterfield released a statement this morning calling on ICE Director Saldaña to use her power of prosecutorial discretion to stop Wildin’s deportation. Per Congressman Butterfield’s statement:
“I am very disappointed that the Director would not use her discretion in a decision that will have such a profound impact on Wildin, who fled violence in Honduras and sought refuge in the United States. I will continue to monitor Mr. Acosta’s case and I, once again, urged Director Sarah Saldaña to delay Wildin Acosta’s deportation in order to give him an opportunity to appeal this administrative decision.”
Several other teenagers in North Carolina and elsewhere face the same fate as Wildin. Pedro Salmeron, who is detained at an ICE flight staging center could be deported to El Salvador early next week, and Yefri Sorto, who was issued a last minute stay of deportation but could find his stay lifted at any moment, are just a few of the 800 teenagers who arrived as unaccompanied children and have been detained and/or deported by ICE since October.
North Carolina community members and advocates are working furiously to try and help Wildin and others like him that have been detained. Several teachers from his high school have recorded emotional videos praising him and urging ICE to immediately stop his deportation. Other advocates are also tweeting about the emotional toll ICE raids have been taking on other young students like Wildin, and are urging an end to raids and deportations of other young people fleeing violence.
Click here to see the latest from Wildin’s supporters.
You can help Wildin by calling DHS immediately at 202-282-8203 and telling them to stop his deportation.
