Houston mother separated from autistic son after he’s placed in federal immigration custody

A local immigrant rights group is stepping in to help a Houston mother after her 15-year-old autistic son, who had been missing for days, was found—but not returned to her. Instead, he was placed in the custody of federal immigration authorities, sparking confusion, concern, and a growing outcry.

What Happened to Emmanuel?

Emmanuel Gonzalez Garcia, a mostly nonverbal teen who has lived in the U.S. for about seven years, disappeared last Saturday while helping his mother sell fruit on the street.

After searching for about an hour, his mother, Maria, called Houston police to report him missing.

Days passed with no word.

It wasn’t until a week later—after Maria made a desperate public plea at a press conference organized by the immigrant rights group FIEL—that she finally got a call from the Houston Police Department.

“They said, ‘We found your son. He’s alive,’” said Cesar Espinosa, Executive Director of FIEL Houston. “But the bad part is—he’s in a shelter.”

From Missing Person to Federal Custody

According to HPD, officers found Emmanuel the day after he disappeared but were unable to identify him. With limited communication abilities, Emmanuel could only tell officers his name, date of birth, and country of origin.

After exhausting other options, HPD says Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) helped them get in contact with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement, who transferred Emmanuel to one of their shelters.

There, he was classified as an “unaccompanied minor.”

Because Maria is not a U.S. citizen, she cannot immediately regain custody. Instead, she must now find a U.S. sponsor to claim him—a process that could take weeks or longer.

An Emotional Reunion—Over a Screen

Maria was eventually allowed a brief FaceTime call with Emmanuel.

“She was able to physically see him and confirm he was alive and not hurt,” said Espinosa. “But he’s very scared. Officers were standing beside him on the screen.”

FIEL says they’ve been denied information about his exact location and are deeply concerned about the lack of transparency.

“We don’t even know where he is,” said Espinosa. “We don’t know what kind of assistance he’s getting, if he’s in school, or if he’s receiving therapy.”

Questions About ICE Involvement

FIEL is now demanding answers—specifically how and why ICE became involved in what began as a local missing persons case involving a child with special needs.

The organization plans to raise those questions directly at Tuesday’s Houston City Hall meeting.

What’s Next?

KPRC 2 reached out to HPD and ORR for more information.

HPD told us questions about Emmanuel’s release must be directed to the Office of Refugee Resettlement. We also contacted the state’s refugee coordinator but have not yet received a response.

As for Emmanuel’s immigration status, FIEL says they are not disclosing that information at this time.