6-year-old Chinese boy finally speaks with father after 2-week separation, detention

Yuanxin, a 6-year-old Chinese immigrant separated from his father over Thanksgiving, spoke with his parent by phone last weekend for the first time since their Nov. 26 arrest at a routine immigration check-in in New York City.

Latest developments: An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer at Orange County Correctional Facility in upstate New York, where Fei Zheng remains in custody, facilitated the call. Jennie Spector, who has been supporting the family since July and spoke with Zheng after the call, said she “could just hear the relief in his voice knowing that he’s [Yuanxin] doing as OK as he can,” the South China Morning Post noted.

Unfortunately, Yuanxin’s location remains unknown. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which coordinates the care and placement of unaccompanied undocumented children, has declined to provide details. Activists have raised concerns about trauma and communication barriers since Mandarin is Yuanxin’s primary language and it is unknown whether ORR has provided legally required interpretation services.

Community backlash: More than 200 people rallied Sunday at the Astoria, Queens, playground of P.S. 166Q, where Yuanxin had just started first grade in November. City Comptroller Brad Lander called the situation “as rotten as family separating and jailing a 6-year-old boy.” Meanwhile, one of Yuanxin’s teachers described him as “incredibly good at math for a first grader” and “great at making friends.”

Earlier on Friday, Democratic Reps. Grace Meng and Nydia Velazquez, along with City Council Member Julie Won, issued a joint statement saying, “We are pushing for answers and doing everything we can to support this family during this incredibly difficult time.” The lawmakers added that “families must never be used as leverage to force deportations” and that such situations “traumatize immigrant communities and sow distrust of the government.”

The big picture: The Zhengs’ case reflects growing risks for Asian American families navigating immigration proceedings. Zheng and Yuanxin were arrested despite receiving year-long parole just one month earlier on Oct. 24, after a judge administratively closed their asylum case. DHS claims Zheng refused to board a September deportation flight and acted “so disruptive and aggressive that he endangered the child’s wellbeing,” but his attorney Mike Gao previously told The New York Times that Zheng feared retribution in China.

Following increased ICE activity in New York City, Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who assumes office next month, released a video guiding immigrants on what to do during encounters.

Federal records indicate authorities plan to deport Zheng and Yuanxin together later this month.