A 10-year-old boy from Venezuela was reportedly compelled to appear without legal counsel in immigration court after his mother was taken into custody. Wilfredo Gomez faced the proceedings alone in Houston, Texas, last week, as the government seeks his deportation to Ecuador.
Boy's Account of Court Appearance
'I was so scared because it was my first time in court,' the boy told Univision. Gomez's mother, Nexoli, was detained in December during a traffic stop, according to Fox San Antonio. With no other relatives in the United States, Nexoli's former employer, Marife Mosquera, has stepped in as the boy's legal guardian.
Legal Guardian's Efforts
Mosquera said she recently received a letter from the Department of Homeland Security informing her that federal authorities have initiated deportation proceedings for the 10-year-old. She also stated that because of Nexoli's arrest, Wilfredo's case is now separate from his mother's. Mosquera has requested additional information from the department regarding its request to deport the boy.
In the meantime, Wilfredo has lost weight and his school grades have begun to decline. 'She used to encourage me a lot,' Wilfredo said of his mother. 'She still encourages me, but it's not the same.'
Political Reaction
The case has drawn the attention of Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro of Texas, who called on Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release Nexoli and immediately halt deportation proceedings against Wilfredo. 'Wilfredo is 10 years old. Last week, he represented himself in immigration court,' Castro posted on X on Wednesday. 'His mother, Nexoli, was detained in Houston and has been locked up and away from her son since December.'
Castro further claimed that the Department of Homeland Security wants to deport the boy 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,' the congressman continued. 'ICE must release her and stop its case to deport Wilfredo immediately. He should be treated like a kid—not a criminal,' Castro added.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, reshared Castro's message, noting that 'A 10 year old represented himself in immigration court is a dystopian statement that seems fake at first glance, but is actually a relatively common occurrence in our system.' He added that one of the Trump administration's first acts was to strip funding for legal counsel for children.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.
