16-Year-Old Detained by ICE After Scheduled Immigration Appointment in NYC

Teenager Detained After ICE Appointment

• 💔 A 16-year-old boy, Joel Camas, was detained by ICE after attending a scheduled immigration check-in at 26 Federal Plaza in NYC.
• 😥 His mother, Elia Chafla, who self-deported to Ecuador last month, expressed deep worry for her son's well-being, stating, "This is all my fault."

Special Immigrant Juvenile Status

• ⚖️ Joel and his mother are undocumented immigrants. Elia believed Joel would be safe due to his Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJJS).
• 💡 SIJJS is available to individuals under 21 who are unmarried and have been found to have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent.
• 👨‍⚖️ A family court judge had previously determined it was in Joel's best interest to remain in the U.S.

Current Circumstances and Legal Challenges

• 🏫 Joel is a junior at Gotham Collaborative High School and lives with family in the Bronx.
• ⚠️ The Department of Homeland Security stated that Joel and his mother had final orders to leave in February 2024.
• 📜 The family's lawyer highlighted the constant flux in immigration rules, noting that deportation would terminate Joel's pathway to lawful permanent residence.
• ✊ The Civil Liberties Union and another organization filed a habeas petition on Joel's behalf, seeking his release and a stop to the removal order to allow him to continue his education.