ICE Deports 5-Year-Old U.S. Citizen Génesis to Honduras Alongside Her Mother

On January 11, 2026, ICE deported Génesis Ester Gutiérrez Castellanos, a 5-year-old U.S. citizen, to Honduras alongside her undocumented mother Karen, days after an Austin 911 call led to their detention. Advocacy group Grassroots Leadership alleged the pair was held incommunicado in a San Antonio hotel, preventing attorneys from intervening before their flight. Génesis's mother held a removal order dating from 2019 — before Génesis was born. After deportation, the mother said she faced the painful choice to send Génesis back to the U.S. with a relative.