Photo: Andrii Medvediuk / iStock / Getty Images
A four-year-old girl from Albany has been reunited with her mother in Colombia after an eight-month separation. The reunion followed a complex legal and logistical effort involving multiple agencies. The girl's mother was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and deported to Colombia after being accused of shoplifting diapers in Rotterdam earlier this year. Although she entered the U.S. legally, she overstayed her visa, leading to her detainment by ICE, despite not being formally charged with a crime, as reported by Spectrum News.
The child, also a Colombian citizen, had been in foster care in Albany County since her mother's detainment in March. The mother's self-deportation to Colombia in September left the child in the U.S., as ICE initially refused to allow her to accompany her mother. Albany County Executive Dan McCoy expressed concern about the trauma the child experienced due to the separation. He stated, "The PTSD that poor child is going through being here not being able to communicate with mom and family back home I can't imagine."
Ultimately, Albany County officials coordinated the girl's safe return to her mother. Two social workers escorted the child to Colombia to ensure her safe arrival. The reunion marks the end of a challenging period for the family, highlighting the complexities and emotional toll of immigration enforcement on families.