New York Governor and Lawmakers Demand Release of Detained Mother and 7-Year-Old Daughter

New York Governor Kathy Hochul and lawmakers have called for the release of a 7-year-old girl and her mother after federal immigration agents detained them at an immigration court in Manhattan. The girl's mother, Martha Yolanda Lojano-Guallpa, had been ordered removed from the country by an immigration judge, but Hochul and others argue that separating the mother from her daughter is "cruel and unjust." The incident marks the fourth known case of a New York City public school student being detained by immigration authorities this year.

Key Takeaways:

• Martha Yolanda Lojano-Guallpa, an Ecuadorian national, and her 7-year-old daughter were detained by federal immigration agents at an immigration court in Manhattan.
• The family was attending a routine immigration check-in at 26 Federal Plaza, and the mother had been ordered removed from the country by an immigration judge.
• This is the fourth known case of a New York City public school student being detained by immigration authorities this year.
• The girl's brother, a 19-year-old, is being held at a detention center in New Jersey.
• New York Governor Kathy Hochul and lawmakers including City Councilmember Shekar Krishnan and state Assemblymember Catalina Cruz are demanding the release of the mother and daughter.
• The family's situation has sparked criticism from local officials, with City Hall officials announcing a filing of an amicus brief in an ongoing lawsuit challenging the federal government's immigration policies.
• The girl's school, P.S. 89 in Elmhurst, has been informed of the situation, and the city education department has offered support to the family.

Statistics:

• 4: The number of known cases of New York City public school students being detained by immigration authorities this year.
• 20: The age of a local public school student who was similarly taken into custody by federal agents at an immigration hearing at 26 Federal Plaza last week.
• 2: The number of immigrant high school students detained at immigration court in recent months, with only one of them released.
• 26: The Federal Plaza where the family was detained, an immigration court in Manhattan.
• 1: The number of family members who have been held at a detention center in New Jersey.

Sources:

• "Gov. Hochul, lawmakers seek return of detained NYC mom, 7-year-old daughter" by Ben Kochman for Gothamist
• "ICE Detains Another NYC Public School Student, City Officials Say" by Ben Kochman for Gothamist
• "Venuezuelan public school student in NY detained at immigration court" by Ben Kochman for Gothamist
• "Queens high school student detained by ICE to be released from Texas facility" by Ben Kochman for Gothamist