Kaleth
Synopsis
Kaleth, 2, was taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody with his parents in March 2026 during a routine check-in appointment in California, according to The Marshall Project and MS NOW. The family had sought asylum after immigrating in 2024 and, according to their lawyer, had never missed a required immigration appointment. As the family cried, ICE handcuffed Kaleth's father and sent him to an adult detention facility in California. Kaleth and his mother Joani were taken to the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas, the primary U.S. facility for families with children. Separated from his father, Kaleth grew despondent at Dilley, his mother told reporters. He repeatedly scooted a small table toward a wall-mounted phone, trying to climb high enough to reach it. Kaleth stopped eating for 12 days; facility doctors attributed it to depression, his mother said. When she tried to force him to eat, he vomited. He eventually stopped having bowel movements, and she watched his face grow gaunt. ICE released Kaleth and his mother in April, about two weeks after their incarceration. They were later reunited with his father. According to Columbia Law professor Elora Mukherjee, Kaleth had not eaten solid food the entire time he was detained; in the car from the airport after release, he devoured four packets of applesauce. Lori Goodman of the nonprofit LEAP, which supported the family, said Kaleth has since recovered remarkably.
Key takeaways
From court records, news reporting, and linked sources below.
- Kaleth, 2, and his mother Joani were detained at Dilley in March 2026 after a California immigration check-in; his father was sent to a separate adult facility (The Marshall Project).
- The asylum-seeking family had immigrated in 2024 and, per their lawyer, had never missed a required ICE appointment.
- Separated from his father, Kaleth stopped eating for 12 days; doctors attributed it to depression; he vomited when his mother tried to force food and stopped having bowel movements.
- He repeatedly tried to reach a wall-mounted phone to contact his father, who was held at another detention center.
- ICE released Kaleth and his mother in April, about two weeks after detention; they later reunited with his father.
- Attorney Elora Mukherjee said Kaleth had not eaten solid food during the entire detention; after release he ate four applesauce packets in the car from the airport.
- LEAP CEO Lori Goodman said children Kaleth's age may express trauma physically when they lack words to describe distress.
Reference links
Related
Detention facility
Dilley Immigration Processing Center→