Zippyjuan
07-23-2019, 05:33 PM
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49091524
A teenager has been detained by border officials for nearly a month despite being a US citizen, his lawyer says.
Francisco Erwin Galicia, who was born in Dallas, was detained at a checkpoint while travelling to a football scouting event in Texas, his family says.
Lawyer Claudia Galan said officials have refused to release the 18-year-old, who is Hispanic, even though he has documents proving citizenship.
The BBC has contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for comment.
Mr Galicia's mother, Sanjuana Galicia, told the Dallas Morning News that her son had been travelling with his brother and friends from their home in Edinburg, in the south of Texas, to a college west of Dallas on 27 June.
She said the group was stopped at a checkpoint soon into their journey.
Mr Galicia's 17-year-old brother, Marlon, was born in Mexico and does not have US citizenship.
Marlon was detained - but so was Francisco, who was carrying a Texas ID which can only be obtained with a social security number, the family said.
Mrs Galan said she had presented Francisco's birth certificate and other documents to prove he is a US citizen, but has been unable to get him released.
"He's going on a full month of being wrongfully detained," his mother said. "He's a US citizen and he needs to be released now."
A teenager has been detained by border officials for nearly a month despite being a US citizen, his lawyer says.
Francisco Erwin Galicia, who was born in Dallas, was detained at a checkpoint while travelling to a football scouting event in Texas, his family says.
Lawyer Claudia Galan said officials have refused to release the 18-year-old, who is Hispanic, even though he has documents proving citizenship.
The BBC has contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for comment.
Mr Galicia's mother, Sanjuana Galicia, told the Dallas Morning News that her son had been travelling with his brother and friends from their home in Edinburg, in the south of Texas, to a college west of Dallas on 27 June.
She said the group was stopped at a checkpoint soon into their journey.
Mr Galicia's 17-year-old brother, Marlon, was born in Mexico and does not have US citizenship.
Marlon was detained - but so was Francisco, who was carrying a Texas ID which can only be obtained with a social security number, the family said.
Mrs Galan said she had presented Francisco's birth certificate and other documents to prove he is a US citizen, but has been unable to get him released.
"He's going on a full month of being wrongfully detained," his mother said. "He's a US citizen and he needs to be released now."