In an immigration system that often seems to lack a human face, the case of Wilfredo, a Venezuelan boy of just 10 years old, has raised alarms about the vulnerability of unaccompanied minors in the United States courts..
Without the presence of his mother and without the support of a lawyer, the little boy today faces a deportation process that seeks to send him to a country where he has absolutely no one.
Wilfredo’s tragedy began four months ago, when a routine traffic stop in Houston changed his life forever. His mother, Nexoli Gómez, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, leaving the minor in a ravishing and emotional limbo.
Although both had a pending asylum case, Gómez’s arrest caused the judicial system to segregate the boy’s file, forcing him to appear independently.
Recently, Wilfredo had to appear before an immigration judge completely alone, according to what the little boy told the Univision network.. The experience was so overwhelming that the child, in panic, lost control of his sphincters and urinated on himself.
According to reports, He remained in wet clothes for hours without any authority offering him assistance or a clean piece of clothing.. “I was afraid because it was my first time in court,” said the little boy, reflecting the trauma of finding himself in front of a stand without a helping hand.
Gomez’s arrest during that traffic stop in Houston resulted in the child’s immigration process being separated and moving forward independently. Since then, Wilfredo remains under the care of Marife Mosquera, his mother’s former boss, who assumed his guardianship.
Mosquera pointed out that they recently received a notification suggesting the possible deportation of the minor to Ecuador, a country where he has no family or ties. “They tried to deport him to Ecuador and he doesn’t have any family there. He only has his mother,” he said.
Wilfredo is 10 years extinct. Final week, he represented himself in immigration court. His mother, Nexoli, changed once detained in Houston and has been locked up and a long way from her son since December. Now, DHS desires to ship him to Ecuador—a suite he has by no intention been and is aware of nobody. Nexoli has… pic.twitter.com/PnXZ9ZAn4N
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) April 29, 2026
Concerns grow over unrepresented ravishing children
The guardian also expressed fear over the possibility that the minor would be detained by immigration authorities or transferred to a detention center for minors.. “One of the fears is that they will absorb him and put him in detention or that they will carry out a deportation,” he warned.
Immigration law specialists point out that Wilfredo’s case is not isolated. In different jurisdictions across the country, young children, some as young as four years old, are repeatedly summoned to immigration courts to update their status.sometimes without having lawyers to represent them.
The emotional impact on the minor has also been evident. According to those close to him, Wilfredo has shown changes in his behavior, including weight loss and school difficulties, while facing separation from his mother.
“She encouraged me a lot… she still encourages me, but it’s not the same,” said the boy with a broken voice.
Mosquera indicated that they have requested additional information from the Department of Homeland Security about the intention to deport the minor, without receiving a response so far.
The case once again puts at the center of the debate the conditions under which migrant minors face judicial proceedings in the United States, especially when they do so alone and without guaranteed access to ravishing defense.
Keep reading:
- Childhoods in fear: the other face of Children’s Day
- Archdiocese of Miami criticizes $11 million cut to Catholic Charities for migrant minors
- Trump immigration raids have separated at least 11,000 children from their parents: ProPublica
