HOUSTON (KIAH) – Following his stay with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement, 15-year-old Emmanuel Gonzalez Garcia was rushed to the hospital for an emergency appendectomy. Emmanuel’s mother, Maria Garcia, was fervently hoping and praying for her son’s recovery so that he could return home to recuperate in his bed.
Cesar Espinosa, leading FIEL and supporting the Garcia family, stated that Emmanuel was admitted to the hospital on Monday where he underwent surgery. Their hope was for Emmanuel to be discharged into his mother’s care. However, Espinosa later informed CW39 on Tuesday morning that Emmanuel would continue to be under the supervision of ORR.
Emmanuel’s disappearance began on October 4, from a spot where his mother Maria had set up a fruit stand. Emmanuel went missing from this quiet location where he was assisting his mother. Maria, who had started selling fruit after losing her job, needed to support her children. She mentioned that Emmanuel left to find a bathroom when she was attending to a customer.
Over the following days, Maria scoured the neighborhood around Clay and Hempstead Road, calling out her son’s name, distributing flyers, and hoping for any sighting of Emmanuel.
“He was with me and his little sister; indeed, he asked me to go to the bathroom, and I was with a customer,” said Maria Garcia, Emmanuel’s mother.
Maria had begun the fruit stand out of necessity, choosing the well-lit and safe spot on Clay and Hempstead to earn an income. It was only her second time setting up at that location.
The Houston Police reported finding Emmanuel when they responded to a welfare check. They spent hours with him, trying to contact his family or someone familiar. Maria explained that Emmanuel, who is autistic, has the cognitive development of a 4-5-year-old, making detailed communication with the officers challenging for him.
Police said after not being able to reach or identify him or anyone in Emmanuel’s household, they reached out to federal authorities for help identifying his family. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tells CW39 they assisted HPD in trying to locate family members, but when none could be confirmed, Emmanuel was placed in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, the federal agency that provides housing and support for children who arrive in the U.S. alone.
In a statement, ICE clarified:
“On Oct. 5, the Houston Police Department contacted ICE about a minor they had picked up who claimed to be homeless and from another country. ICE worked with HPD to see if they could identify the minor or any of the minor’s family members living in the U.S. When no family could be identified, ICE helped HPD place the minor with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement. At no point was the minor in ICE custody.”
That means Emmanuel is safe and being cared for, but not yet reunited with his family.
Advocates said this was a case like no other, and they are working to make sure they reunite the family.
Maria is now working with immigration advocates to navigate the process. They say the next steps include requesting Emmanuel’s formal release from custody.
Espinosa said while the process could take weeks, they will not give up.
For now, Emmanuel remains in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. His story, one that began with fear and uncertainty, has become a window into how complex and emotional these cases can be.
“The worst-case scenario is that he’s detained indefinitely, and at 17 and a half years old, immigration, for immigration purposes, you turn into an adult, and he could be deported back to Nicaragua without anyone having a say in it,” said Espinosa.
