There is a deep sickness in the American legal system. One that has rebooted from its centuries-long slumber. And like a ghost of injustice past, it is haunting our present.
Right now, in the so-called “land of the free,” United States citizens are being deported. Yes — citizens. People born on American soil. People raised in our schools, pledged to the flag, paid taxes, and lived under this system, only to be told by that same government: “You don’t belong here.”
Their crime? Often, it’s being born to the wrong parents or speaking the wrong language or having the wrong skin color. Their punishment? Exile. Legalized disappearance. Sometimes it happens quietly. Other times it occurs in front of the nation’s eyes and we look away. These are not isolated incidents but part of a systemic failure that echoes the darkest chapters of our history.
Goons in Government
Consider the case of Pedro Guzman, a U.S. citizen born in California, who was mistakenly deported to Mexico in 2007. Despite his repeated assertions of citizenship, he spent 85 days stranded in a country he didn't know, surviving on the streets without assistance. Guzman's ordeal ended only after a lawsuit led to a $350,000 settlement, highlighting the grave errors within our immigration enforcement agencies.
Similarly, Mark Lyttle, born in North Carolina, was wrongfully deported to Mexico in 2008. Lyttle, who suffers from mental health issues, was misclassified as a Mexican national despite clear evidence of his U.S. citizenship. He endured 125 days across Central America before a U.S. consular officer intervened. Lyttle eventually received a $175,000 settlement, but his case underscores the perilous consequences of bureaucratic negligence.
These stories are not anomalies. A 2025 report revealed that a 2-year-old U.S. citizen, identified only as V.M.L., was deported to Honduras alongside her pregnant mother without due process. In another instance, a 10-year-old American girl with brain cancer was deported to Mexico, denied the medical care she desperately needed.
A Legal and Moral Failing
The U.S. immigration system treats deportation as a civil matter, not a criminal one. This distinction means that individuals, including children, are not guaranteed legal representation. As a result, children as young as 3 years old have been ordered to appear in court alone, expected to comprehend and navigate complex legal proceedings without assistance.
From 2005 to 2017, more than 90% of unrepresented unaccompanied children were ordered deported or voluntarily departed. In contrast, those with legal representation were over seven times more likely to receive outcomes allowing them to remain in the U.S.
This practice is not only unjust but also reminiscent of historical atrocities. During slavery, children were separated from their families and denied agency. Today, we witness a parallel as children face life-altering legal battles without the support they need.
Let’s talk facts:
In 2018, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security wrongfully detained or deported over 1,500 American citizens, many of them Latino and Black.
In 2020, a ProPublica investigation uncovered that ICE held citizens without proof of their immigration status for weeks or months. Some were deported before proving they were U.S. nationals — because the process was so opaque and underfunded.
Under the “Zero Tolerance” policy, thousands of children were separated from their families. Many of them were never reunited, and many were deported while their parents remained detained.
And still today, children show up to immigration courts without legal counsel, despite the fact that immigration law is considered second only to the tax code in complexity.
Selective Compassion: The Case of White South African Refugees
In stark contrast to the treatment of Black and brown immigrants, the U.S. has shown preferential treatment to white South African refugees. In 2025, nearly 70,000 Afrikaners expressed interest in relocating to the U.S., citing unfounded claims of a "white genocide." Despite the lack of credible evidence, the Trump administration restructured refugee programs to accommodate these applicants, allowing groups of white immigrants to relocate to the U.S.
This selective compassion underscores a racial bias within immigration policies, where whiteness often equates to credibility and acceptance, while people of color face skepticism and exclusion.
A Call to Action
The parallels between past and present injustices are undeniable. The wrongful deportation of citizens and the abandonment of children in legal proceedings reflect a system that continues to devalue Black and brown lives.
We must demand:
Guaranteed legal representation for all children in immigration proceedings.
Comprehensive reviews and accountability for wrongful deportations.
Equitable treatment of all asylum seekers, regardless of race or origin.
Our history is marred by the scars of slavery and systemic racism. We must confront
these ongoing injustices with the same fervor and commitment to change.
