The complaint alleges that Romeo, alongside his 25-year-old mother, a Honduran national, and his sister, was arrested during what they believed was a routine check‑in with ICE.
Instead of routine processing, Romeo's mother, Rosario, was denied access to counsel, barred from making any custody arrangements, and prevented from preparing for her children's care.
According to the filing, revealed by The Miami Herald, ICE agents forced the family through the back door, sequestering them incommunicado.
Romeo's treatment had been ongoing at Manning Family Children's Hospital in New Orleans since his diagnosis in 2023, when he was two years old.
Romeo, whose health has worsened since the cancer spread to his lungs, has been flying "back and forth" between Honduras and the U.S. for his medical appointments.
However, the complaint alleges that paying for these flights has put a strain on Rosario's "very limited financial resources.".
Legal advocates and civil‑rights groups, including the ACLU, condemned the move as an egregious constitutional violation, especially given the medical vulnerability of the affected children. »