Judge Rules Mistaken Deportation of Orlando-Born Twins: A Shocking Immigration Blunder

ORLANDO, Fla. – In a troubling case of wrongful deportation, two 12-year-old twin girls born in Orlando were mistakenly deported earlier this month, as revealed in a court order obtained by News 6.

The court document indicates that Marly Zepeda, the twins’ mother, was summoned to an ICE facility on a Monday. She was to bring her “children and documents” as part of ongoing deportation proceedings against her. During this visit, the twins were left in the care of their grandmother in the parking area.

Unexpectedly, an ICE officer instructed the grandmother to escort the girls to the facility’s entrance. There, the twins were taken into custody, seemingly in line with the “family unity” policy, as detailed in the court order.

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Despite a court order temporarily halting the deportation of the family, records show that by Tuesday morning, the girls had already been deported to Guatemala alongside their mother, departing from Orlando.

“There was confusion regarding Zepeda’s election, representing that ICE understood that she wanted to take her children with her,” the order reads.

However, it turned out that Zepeda had filed a form last month indicating she wanted to leave her children with their grandmother, a district judge clarified. As a result, ICE officials have prepared to facilitate the children’s return to the U.S.

On Tuesday, a district judge ordered federal officials to work with the mother to bring the two girls back from Guatemala City into their grandmother’s custody.

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You can read the full order below.