US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has denied that a 5-year-old boy and his father, who were detained by ICE in Minneapolis last month, have an active asylum claim. The family was released from detention over the weekend after a judge issued a ruling earlier in the day.
Blanche stated during an appearance on ABC's "This Week" that there is a "very meaningful dispute" about whether the boy and his father had properly applied for asylum. He added that the Trump administration considers unauthorized entry into the US a crime and believes individuals should be detained, regardless of their criminal history.
However, lawyers representing the Ecuadorian family claim they have an active asylum claim currently being processed, allowing them to remain in the country pending a court decision. The family's presence in the US was reportedly without status, with Blanche stating that the fact they are here "illegally" is a crime.
The controversy surrounding the detention of the 5-year-old boy and his father has sparked widespread backlash from attorneys and lawmakers, who have condemned the operation. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) posted on social media that he picked up the family Saturday night and escorted them back to Minnesota the next morning, while Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) celebrated their release with a photo of her standing next to the family, writing, "Liam is home now and we are grateful to Joaquin Castro for traveling to Minneapolis with him and his dad."
The case has highlighted tensions between the Trump administration's immigration policies and concerns about the treatment of migrant families. The Biden administration has taken steps to address some of these issues, but the detention of a 5-year-old boy and his father remains a contentious issue.
Blanche stated during an appearance on ABC's "This Week" that there is a "very meaningful dispute" about whether the boy and his father had properly applied for asylum. He added that the Trump administration considers unauthorized entry into the US a crime and believes individuals should be detained, regardless of their criminal history.
However, lawyers representing the Ecuadorian family claim they have an active asylum claim currently being processed, allowing them to remain in the country pending a court decision. The family's presence in the US was reportedly without status, with Blanche stating that the fact they are here "illegally" is a crime.
The controversy surrounding the detention of the 5-year-old boy and his father has sparked widespread backlash from attorneys and lawmakers, who have condemned the operation. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) posted on social media that he picked up the family Saturday night and escorted them back to Minnesota the next morning, while Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) celebrated their release with a photo of her standing next to the family, writing, "Liam is home now and we are grateful to Joaquin Castro for traveling to Minneapolis with him and his dad."
The case has highlighted tensions between the Trump administration's immigration policies and concerns about the treatment of migrant families. The Biden administration has taken steps to address some of these issues, but the detention of a 5-year-old boy and his father remains a contentious issue.
. It's crazy how the system can be so unfair, treating a 5-year-old as if he did something wrong just because his parents are here without papers... what about their kid's well-being? We need more compassion in our policies, not punishment.
. ICE detaining a 5-yr-old boy and his dad for 5 days is just awful 
. And now they're saying it's because they don't have an active asylum claim? Like, what even is that? 
They were just trying to get here safely, and now they're stuck in limbo 
. The fact that Todd Blanche is defending this as "very meaningful dispute" is just a bunch of malarkey 
. I mean, come on, you can't treat a kid like that! The whole system needs a serious overhaul 
. And what's with the language used? "Illegally present in the US"? That's just dehumanizing 
. We need to do better than this 
.
. And Rep Ilhan Omar taking a photo with the family, wow, she's a true leader 
. The fact that Todd Blanche is denying their asylum claim is just ridiculous, I mean who decides that a 5-year-old boy can't have a say in his own life? 
. This whole thing is just a big ol' mess and it needs to be fixed ASAP 
.
. u gotta feel for lil Liam, he's just trying to live with his dad after everything they went thru in Ecuador. maybe instead of bein all strict about asylum claims, u should be tryin to find ways to help ppl like them who are really needin it 
.
. the fact that the Biden admin's tryin to do somethin about it is a good start, now just gotta get the Trump admin on board too 
.
! Interesting how it's sparking so much backlash from lawmakers 
. The whole asylum claim thing is super confusing, though - like, did they even apply for it or not? 
I mean, what if the real reason he did it was because he knew something about the case that he wasn't supposed to share publicly? And don't even get me started on the "very meaningful dispute" Blanche is talking about... sounds like a load of hogwash to me. 
lil boy liliam was prob shook up in dat detention center & his dad sounds super nervous too. dont get me wrong i'm all 4 immigrant rights but u gotta consider the law too 
and his dad, just imagine how scared they must have been while being held captive. and now the whole thing is just a big mess because of trump's stupid policies 
i mean the fact that they had an active asylum claim but were still being held because of 'illegality' is just rediculous. and rep joaquin castro literally picking them up from their doorstep & escorting them back home? it's like he's a real-life superhero 
It's not like we're talking about some complex international treaty issue here, just a bunch of people trying to get into a country. And Reps Joaquin and Ilhan are being way too soft on this one, if you ask me 
.
and now they're lucky to be released from detention 
. i'm glad rep joaquin castro and ilhan omar are speaking out against this and advocating for the family's rights 
