2 Guatemalan Women and 6 Children Detained after Traffic Stop and Community Resists

Submitted by SusanGalloway on Fri, 2017-03-24 15:40

On Thursday evening, two women and 5 children were stopped by Genesseo police for a minor traffic violation. The police, rather than handle the traffic violation as a what it was, called Border Patrol. The women and children were detained for 3 hours at the side of the road. The children and mothers were separated including a 2 month old US citizen, who was denied nutrition because of separation. The mother wanted to leave the children who are US citizens with the pastor, but the border patrol took the children into custody despite the mothers’ requests. Video by Carly Fox:

Family taken by border patrol, video from their van, part 2

Through social media, students, farmers, towns people and activists starting arriving at the scene where the Geneseo police and border patrol were detaining the women and children. By the end more then 50 people witnessed the detention. Several videos were shot, including some live posted, so people all over the world could see what was happening.

Family taken by border patrol, video from their van, part 1

Family taken by border patrol, video from their van, part 2

Family taken by border patrol, video from their van, part 3

Carly Fox, of the Worker Justice Center of New York,was on the scene and participated in an interview with Metro Justice, a social justice organization.

Carly Fox interviewed at border patrol station 3 23 17

These women are originally from Guatemala, which is one of the most dangerous countries for women. Since Trump was was inaugarated POTUS, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has stepped up raids and detentions, including some notorious cases: one in which a woman was taken from a hosptital during treatment for a brain tumor, detention of a woman who went to police because of domestic violence, Dreamers and those who have the courage to speak out for immigrant rights and against the ICE, detention, and deportaton.

On Thursday evening around 10:00, a rally happened at the Border Patrol station in Irondequot, NY, outside of Rochester. Video by Carly Fox: