California family ordered to be removed to Honduras after appeal dismissed

HOUSTON - A Honduran national and his 9-year-old family member are set to be removed from the U.S. after their appeal was dismissed by the Board of Immigration Appeals.

What we know:

According to ICE San Antonio, 50-year-old Martir Garcia-Benegas and his family member, 9-year-old Martir Issac Garcia-Benegas, illegally entered the United States on July 10, 2021.

An immigration judge ordered their removal to Honduras on Sept. 1, 2022. Garcia appealed the decision, but the Board of Immigration Appeals dismissed the appeal on Aug. 11, 2023.

Despite the order, the Garcia family did not leave the U.S. as instructed. They were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Enforcement and Removal Operations office in Los Angeles on May 29.

The family was transferred to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Dilley, Texas, on May 30, where they await removal to Honduras.

What they're saying:

FOX 26 reached out to ICE San Antonio for a statement regarding the arrest of the father and son. 

"Martir Garcia-Banegas, 50, illegally entered the United States July 10, 2021 with a family member, Martir Isaac Garcia Lara, 9.

An immigration judge ordered the family unit removed to Honduras on Sept. 1, 2022. Garcia appealed the decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals and on Aug. 11, 2023, the BIA dismissed the appeal. They exhausted due process and has no legal remedies left to pursue.

The family unit failed to leave the U.S. as instructed by the immigration judge’s order. 

They were taken into ICE custody at the Enforcement and Removal Operations Los Angeles field office on May 29 and will remain in custody pending removal to Honduras. 

Parents, who are here illegally, can take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering aliens illegal $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return."

Also in a statement to FOX 26 late Thursday night, Torrance Unified School District released a statement, saying: 

Torrance Unified Community, 

Yesterday, June 4, multiple news outlets reported unverified information about a Torrance Elementary School student who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the City of Los Angeles. This event was uncoordinated and did not occur on school grounds. Upon learning of the event, we actively engaged with the family to address the matter.

Within our responsibility to educate and protect every student in our District, we have been attempting to verify the accuracy of the student’s identity and school attendance, as reported. As of 3:30 p.m. today, we have confirmed that the name included in ICE records provided by the Los Angeles Times today matches that of a student currently enrolled in the Torrance Unified School District.

We care deeply about our students, and we have received numerous inquiries about what individuals can do to assist the student and the family. Since this issue is a federal matter, we encourage those of you who have contacted us to share your feedback with elected officials for our area, who include Congressional Representatives, Maxine Waters and Ted Lieu, as well as U.S. Senators, Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff.

It is our responsibility as a District to support the families of every student and connect them to resources and assistance for their continued education and healthy wellbeing, if, and when, a family requests it. Until that time, we respect the rights and privacy of all our families. Additionally, Torrance Unified Board policies absolutely prohibit employees from sharing confidential employee and student information.

Every child in our District has a right to education and safety, and we will continue to protect those rights. We will also provide updates should any more information become publicly available.

Thank you, 

Torrance Unified School District

The other side:

Raed Gonzalez is an immigration attorney, and he told FOX 26 the Trump administration is looking to remove everyone and is no longer just targeting violent criminals. 

"Anyone that has a deportation order. Anyone that is here illegally, even if they have family, even if they don't have any types of crimes, whether they're paying taxes, contributing to society. It has been more overreaching than everybody thought it would be," Gonzalez said.

Trump calls for 3,000 daily immigration arrests

Dig deeper:

The Trump administration has called for 3,000 daily immigration arrests, leaving migrant communities in the US in fear.

President Donald Trump had campaigned for a second term on the pledge that he would expel "criminals" who were in the country "illegally". But as he ramps up his "mass deportation" campaign from the White House, critics say immigration agents are targeting immigrants from a variety of backgrounds — no matter how little risk they pose.

ImmigrationU.S.