The narrative pushed by the radical Left just blew up in spectacular fashion.
The Gateway Pundit previously reported that a federal judge, Terry Doughty—a Trump appointee in Louisiana—rebuked the Department of Justice for failing to ensure what he called “meaningful process” in the deportation of a Honduran woman and her children, including a 2-year-old identified in court as “VML.”
Judge Doughty even scheduled a hearing for May 16, stating it was “in the interest of dispelling our strong suspicion that the government just deported a U.S. citizen with no meaningful process.”
That sparked a media firestorm.
Far-left outlets and liberal talking heads pounced, breathlessly repeating claims that the Trump administration heartlessly deported a U.S.-born child without due process. The ACLU followed suit, launching a lawsuit to further inflame the outrage machine.
But now, the entire narrative has collapsed.
Here’s what they didn’t tell you.
The mother, Jenny Carolina Lopez-Villela, a serial border jumper who entered the U.S. illegally three times in just two years, explicitly requested that her daughters—including the U.S.-born toddler—return with her to Honduras.
A handwritten letter, in Spanish, from Lopez-Villela to ICE read: “I will take my daughter with me to Honduras.”
The mother made her choice. DHS honored it. But the ACLU, desperate to stoke outrage and score points with their open-borders base, spun a false tale—and got caught.
Now, the ACLU has quietly dropped its lawsuit.
According to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, “The ACLU dropped its lawsuit on the false claims that DHS deported a U.S. citizen.
“The truth is, and has always been, that the mother—who was in the country illegally—chose to bring her 2-year-old with her to Honduras when she was removed. The narrative that DHS is deporting American children is false and irresponsible.”
More from the press release:
The parent, Jenny Carolina Lopez-Villela , made the decision to take her child to Honduras. ICE asks parents if they want to be removed with their children or if they would like to place a child with someone the parent designates. In this case, the parent stated they wanted to be removed with their child.
Jenny Carolina Lopez-Villela illegally entered this country three times in September 2019, March of 2021, and August 2021. She and her older daughter were deemed inadmissible to the United States the first time she entered the country and both her and her daughter were given final orders of removal in March 2020. When she was taken into ICE custody in April 2025, she chose to bring her younger daughter, who is an American Citizen, with her to Honduras and presented a valid United States passport.
DHS takes its responsibility to protect children seriously and will continue to work with federal law enforcement to ensure that children are safe and protected. Parents, who are here illegally, can take control of their departure. The CBP Home app gives parents illegally in the country a chance to take full control of their departure and self-deport, with the potential ability to return the legal, right way and come back to live the American dream. It is free and available for all mobile devices.
