HUMSI — Human Security Initiative

Human Impact Project

A living database documenting reported immigration enforcement incidents and their human impact.

Asylum-seeking mother detained at ICE check-in as 9-year-old son watches

A Colombian asylum seeker with no criminal record was detained at an ICE check-in as her 9-year-old son Jacob and husband waited in the room. Held almost five months before her release, Jacob developed severe anxiety and depression afterward.

Jan 2026Los Angeles, CACountry of origin: Colombia

Asylum-seeking mother detained at ICE check-in as 9-year-old son watches
Photo via CBS News

Jacob's mother, a Colombian national with a pending asylum application and no criminal record, was detained at an ICE check-in appointment while her son Jacob and husband waited in the room. She was held for almost five months at Adelanto ICE Processing Center before being released on a habeas corpus petition in May. Jacob, who had already experienced trauma fleeing paramilitary threats and witnessing violence during migration, developed severe separation anxiety, depression, insomnia, and behavioral problems following his mother's detention.

Suggest a correction, comment, or update

Tags

Sources

Similar Incidents

Loading…

More incidents in California