Austin family deported after traffic stop near middle school

Family in Austin deported after traffic stop

Immigration attorneys say an Austin family, including their children who are U.S. citizens, were deported to Mexico after a traffic stop near Dobie Middle School last month.

AUSTIN, Texas - Immigration attorneys say an Austin family, including their children who are U.S. citizens, were deported to Mexico after a traffic stop near Dobie Middle School last month.

A statement released by the Texas Civil Rights Project detailed the chain of events that led to the deportation of Denisse Parra Vargas and her family.

What they're saying:

Austin immigration attorney Thomas Esparza is not representing the family but says this type of situation is unheard of in Travis County.

"Not in Travis County? Never. I'm sure it's happened. I see it in the surrounding counties," says Austin immigration attorney Thomas Esparza.

According to the statement, three DPS troopers and an unmarked vehicle stopped Denisse Parra Vargas and her partner near Dobie Middle school on April 30 for an expired license plate. The traffic stop led to them being detained.

Denisse was later released on an ankle monitor to pick up her children from school.

DPS confirmed the arrest, saying in part, "At the direction of Governor Abbott, the DPS developed regional tactical strike teams across the state to support our federal partners, including ICE and others, by providing law enforcement services related to illegal immigration operations."

"It escalated very quickly, I imagine, because they discovered that these folks were undocumented. The folks didn't maintain their right to silence. You know, this probably started talking out of fear that somebody was not going to be able to pick up their children," says Esparza.

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Denisse says she was released by ICE and reported to the intensive supervision appearance program in San Antonio as instructed.

She says she was also told to attend a hearing for her partner at the ICE facility in Pflugerville on Tuesday, May 6. Instead, there was no hearing.

Denisse and her three children were detained, including two who were U.S. citizens. They were deported to Reynosa, Mexico, according to the statement.

"They outright lied because they were too lazy to go back to her house and get her," says Esparza.

Advocates say they learned the family was held without communication outside of normal detention facilities before they were transported to Mexico.

"They're painfully slow when it comes to processing somebody in removal proceedings. Though I have no doubt that they were already on the road somewhere south," says Esparza.

Denisse came to the U.S. in 2016 seeking protection, fearing further violence from her abusive former partner.

Attorneys and organizations supporting the family plan to hold a meeting with an update on the family on Friday, May 9.