3-year-old immigrant suffered alleged sexual abuse during months in federal custody, family says
ABC7 San Francisco • • nation
Key Points:
- A 3-year-old girl was allegedly sexually abused while in foster care after being separated from her mother at the U.S.-Mexico border, with her father only learning of the abuse months later through legal action.
- The Trump administration's stricter immigration policies have led to prolonged detention times for immigrant children, increasing from an average of 37 days to nearly 200 days, and complicating reunification with families.
- Legal advocates have increasingly resorted to habeas corpus petitions to expedite the release of detained children, as government delays and new rules have stalled family reunifications.
- The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) failed to promptly inform the father about the abuse, initially describing it as an "accident," and only released the child after court intervention.
- The girl's father reports behavioral changes in his daughter following her detention, highlighting concerns about the impact of prolonged government custody on children's well-being.
