09/04/2026
A deaf 6-year-old boy, Joseph Rodriguez, was held in custody for two days and then deported to Colombia without his hearing aids. His attorney said Joseph did not understand what was happening to him or his family before they were deported. If ICE can do that to a deaf 6-year-old, there’s no telling how many other deaf migrants may be experiencing the same thing, if not worse.
Deaf migrants who go through immigration and court proceedings are entitled to understand what’s happening in their cases. However, more than 100 people who said sign language was their primary language received deportation or removal orders, according to data provided to Mother Jones.
Some Deaf migrants said they were not given sign-language interpreters, leaving them unable to fully understand ICE officers, legal proceedings, or what was happening in their cases.
Since 1977, federal law has required government-funded programs, including ICE detention centers and immigration courts, to provide reasonable accommodations for disabled people. However, in March 2025, the Trump administration laid off more than 150 staff members from DHS’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, leaving the office with only two full-time staffers at the time.
ICE detainees have reported going days or even weeks without enough food, water, or medication. For Deaf people in detention, those problems can be exacerbated if they can’t communicate with staff or get a qualified sign-language interpreter. For people who use sign languages other than ASL, it can be even harder to get a qualified interpreter.
Along with limited access to interpreters and other communication barriers, Deaf people who rely on facial expressions or lip-reading can have a harder time communicating with ICE officers who wear face coverings. Several states have tried to ban ICE agents from wearing masks, but courts have blocked those laws in California, Virginia, and New York.
