Media Contact

Stephen Wilson, ACLU of Texas, (713) 325-7010, [email protected]

October 30, 2017

HOUSTON — Today the ACLU and the ACLU of Texas sent a demand letter to the federal government for the release of 10-year-old Rosa Maria Hernandez. Rosa Maria is a 10-year old girl with cerebral palsy who has lived in the United States with her parents since she was three months old. Since her arrest last week, Rosa Maria has been held in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (“ORR”) in violation of her statutory and constitutional rights.

The following quote can be attributed to Andre Segura, ACLU of Texas legal director:

“The Trump administration has reached a new low. It is horrendous that Border Patrol agents followed a little girl with cerebral palsy as she went to the hospital for a necessary surgical procedure and arrested her as soon as she was released.

Rosa Maria is being held unlawfully by the federal government. She needs to be with her mother, not alone and confined in a government facility. If she is not released by 2:00pm tomorrow, we will take immediate legal action to secure her release.”