A lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) alleging the deportation of a U.S. citizen has been dropped after its central claim unraveled. This case serves as a reminder of how narratives around deportation can sometimes diverge from documented reality. What kind of decisions do parents facing deportations have to make?
False Claims Exposed in Immigration Lawsuit
A high-profile lawsuit alleging that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) wrongfully deported a U.S. citizen child has collapsed after evidence contradicted its central claim. The litigation, brought by the National Immigration Project against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), was dismissed when documentation showed the child’s mother had voluntarily chosen to take her American-born daughter to Honduras during deportation proceedings.
The case focused on Jenny Carolina Lopez-Villela, who had entered the United States illegally on three separate occasions and was subject to a final removal order issued in March 2020. Government officials presented a signed letter from Lopez-Villela stating, “I, Jenny Carolina Lopez [Villela], will bring my daughter, Valentina Mendez Lopez, with me to Honduras.”
🧵The narrative that DHS is deporting American children is FALSE and irresponsible reporting.
The claim that U.S. citizen children are being deported is FALSE. pic.twitter.com/rqAPKnEAWR
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 10, 2025
Parental Rights and Immigration Enforcement
According to DHS, ICE consistently provides parents facing deportation with options regarding their children who are U.S. citizens. Parents may either take their children with them to their home country or designate a suitable guardian within the United States.
In this specific case, two individuals had offered to serve as custodians for the 2-year-old girl, but court records indicate they were unable to verify their identities. The government argued that “Taking [her] away from her mother and placing her in the custody of individuals who are seemingly unprepared to establish their identities would pose a greater risk of harm.”
Parents, who are here illegally, can take control of their departure.
Through the CBP Home App— the Trump Administration is giving parents illegally in the country a chance to take full control of their departure and self-deport, with the potential ability to return the legal,… pic.twitter.com/oycmCnA2T7
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) May 10, 2025
DHS Refutes Deportation Narratives
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a strong statement rejecting allegations about ICE’s practices: “This ACLU-backed lawsuit was based on the false claims that DHS deported a U.S. citizen. The truth is, and has always been, that the mother—who was in the country illegally—chose to bring her 2-year-old with her to Honduras when she was removed.”
The Department emphasized its commitment to family unity while fulfilling its enforcement responsibilities, noting that it offers tools like the CBP One app to help parents manage their departure and potential legal return. DHS categorically stated that “the narrative that DHS is deporting American children is false and irresponsible reporting,” calling such claims misleading and damaging to public trust.
The National Immigration Project, which is affiliated with the National Lawyers Guild, has previously represented individuals accused of participating in leftist demonstrations. Critics have questioned whether the organization’s litigation strategy in this case was politically motivated rather than focused on established legal principles regarding deportation procedures.