A nine-year-old boy from Southern California, Martir Garcia Lara, was deported to Honduras with his father, Martir Garcia-Banegas, following their detainment by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The pair, who had been living in the South Bay area, were taken into custody after attending an immigration hearing in Los Angeles on May 29.
Lara, a former fourth grader at Torrance Elementary School, is now adjusting to life in the small town of Temputitalpa, Honduras. “I was scared to come here,” he told Univision, expressing his longing to return to his friends in California. His father, who had previously appealed an immigration judge’s order to return to Honduras, expressed frustration, stating that they had “exhausted due process” with no legal remedies left.
The deportation has sparked outrage among teachers and community members in Torrance who knew Lara. Despite efforts to help the family remain in the U.S., federal officials maintained that the father and son had no further options to pursue. Garcia-Banegas hopes his case will be reconsidered in the future and is working to provide for his son in Honduras. Meanwhile, his older son, Kevin, remains in Southern California, attending college and living with relatives.
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