Young Mom of Twins Deported While Recovering from Surgery

In Texas, a young mother who gave birth to twins through an emergency C-section was deported, leaving her family in shock. The mother, 23-year-old Cristina Geraldyn Salazar-Hinojosa, missed an immigration hearing due to her medical condition. Her tiny newborns and two other children were also captured, but only she was deported because U. S. citizens can't be deported. The mother's husband, Federico Arellano, is a U. S. citizen. Salazar-Hinojosa had been released from custody pending her immigration case, and was part of an Alternatives to Detention program. She had been told by doctors to rest at home after her surgery, which caused her to miss the hearing. Her family tried to inform the court and was initially told the hearing would be rescheduled. However, when they went to a location to discuss their case, they were arrested. The family was devastated. An attorney for the husband said there were legal options available but they were not given the chance to explore them. The deportation happened despite U. S. citizenship for the children, raising questions about family unity and the deportation process.