AOTR URGENT ALERT: Family Separation — Immigrant Mother Detained, Newborn in State Custody
We stand with families, advocates, and community protectors demanding visibility, urgency, and accountability after the separation of Esther Lopez‑Sanchez from her newborn U.S.‑citizen daughter. Esther, who gave birth while in custody in Rutherford County, Tennessee, is now being held in an ICE detention center in South Louisiana — while her baby remains under the control of the Department of Children’s Services.
Esther reportedly had only two and a half days with her child before being transferred without her newborn. Advocates speaking with her daily say the separation has devastated her. Though her own charges were dropped, her fight to regain custody has been met with legal barriers, rejected family placements, and a system that routinely fails migrant and Indigenous mothers.
Attorneys emphasize that parents — regardless of immigration status — have the right to be heard in court and to advocate for their children. Yet Esther’s attempts to place her baby with relatives were denied due to their undocumented status, leaving her daughter in state care while Esther remains detained hundreds of miles away.
We take care of each other. We amplify the silenced. We demand justice, safety, and restoration for every parent fighting to be reunited with their child.
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