HOUSTON – The mother of a 15-year-old boy with autism wants her son returned home to her after he went missing in Houston earlier this month and ended up placed with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement.
Activists are also demanding answers about why the Houston Police Department contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after finding the missing teen and how he ended up with the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
FOX 26 Houston asked the Houston Police Department how it unfolded.
Missing teen placed with DHHS ORR
The backstory:
Emmanuel Gonzalez Garcia, 15, was reported missing to police on Oct. 4. On Oct. 10, his mother and FIEL held a press conference to call for help locating the boy.
A few hours later, the Houston Police Department notified the boy’s mother and FIEL that the boy had been found.
According to police, the boy had been located on Oct. 5 and was placed with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement.
What they’re saying:
FOX 26 asked Houston police why the boy was turned over to the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
According to police, the boy was located on Oct. 5 and allegedly said that he was homeless and from another country. He allegedly told officers he didn’t have family in the area and couldn’t provide any contact information.
Police say HPD officers tried for more than four hours to identify the boy. Police say, after exhausting all other options, they contacted ICE, who helped HPD find a safe acceptable place for the boy to stay. He was then placed with the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
Dig deeper:
In a statement over the weekend, ICE said the boy was never in their custody.
“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.”
Mother wants him home
On Monday, Emmanuel was hospitalized. His family said he received treatment for appendicitis at the Texas Children’s Hospital. He was recovering at the hospital, but FIEL says ORR picked him up on Tuesday, and he remains in federal custody.
His mother wants him returned to her care so he can recuperate at home. FIEL also called for his return to his family and said he is not an unaccompanied minor because his mother is in Houston.
The Source: The information in this article comes from the Houston Police Department, FIEL, ICE and the boy’s mother.