Guatemalan Woman Who Gave Birth in Arizona Spared Quick Deportation After Governor’s Intervention
A Guatemalan woman who crossed into the U.S. while eight months pregnant and gave birth in Arizona has avoided expedited deportation, thanks to intervention from Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, her attorney, and a federal official, her lawyer confirmed Saturday.
The 24-year-old, identified only as “Erika,” drew attention after her attorney, Luis Campos, reported that federal agents barred him from seeing her at a Tucson hospital following the birth on Wednesday. He said she was being processed for rapid deportation after entering the country without authorization.
Her case sparked concern over how the Trump-era immigration policies are affecting new mothers and infants. Local media reported that Governor Hobbs reached out to federal authorities after learning about Erika’s situation. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) later stated that she had been placed in standard deportation proceedings and was granted the right to speak with an attorney.
“The woman was transferred to ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and scheduled to appear before an immigration judge,” said a CBP spokesperson. “Her child remains in her custody.”
ICE did not immediately provide a comment when contacted.
According to Campos, Erika fled a dangerous situation in Guatemala. Her mother had asked him to represent her daughter, who walked for two days through the desert before being detained around 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Tucson.
Campos said Erika is entitled to express fear of returning to her home country and can seek asylum. He spoke with her on Friday and hoped she would be released soon, noting that immigration attorneys in Phoenix had offered assistance at the request of the governor.
The governor’s office did not respond to a direct request for comment. However, a Hobbs spokesperson told local media that her office had contacted both federal and local officials regarding the woman and her newborn’s well-being.
“Governor Hobbs has made her stance clear: she opposes harsh and inhumane immigration enforcement,” the spokesperson said, according to News 13.
CBP officials stated that agents followed all legal protocols and agency procedures in their handling of Erika’s case.
