ORLANDO, Fla. – In a surprising turn of events, a set of 12-year-old twin sisters, originally from Orlando, were mistakenly deported earlier this month, as revealed by a court document accessed by News 6.
The document specifies that Marly Zepeda, the twins’ mother, was instructed to attend a meeting at an ICE facility on a Monday, bringing along her “children and documents” due to ongoing deportation proceedings. While attending the appointment, the twins were left in the parking lot with their grandmother.
However, the grandmother was subsequently instructed by ICE personnel to bring the children to the facility’s entrance. Upon arrival, the twins were taken into custody, seemingly under a “family unity” policy, according to the court order.
Despite a court issuing a temporary restraining order to halt the family’s deportation, records show that by Tuesday morning, the girls had already been flown from Orlando to Guatemala with their mother.
The order notes a misunderstanding regarding Zepeda’s intentions, with ICE interpreting that she chose to have her children accompany her.
It was later clarified by a district judge that Zepeda had submitted a form the previous month, indicating her decision to leave the children with their grandmother. Consequently, ICE is now making arrangements to bring the twins back to the United States.
On Tuesday, a district judge ordered federal officials to work with the mother to bring the two girls back from Guatemala City into their grandmother’s custody.
You can read the full order below.
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