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January 5, 2012

Runaway U.S. Teen Mistakenly Deported to Colombia 
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A 15-year-old Texas teenager is being held in a Colombian detention
center after being mistakenly deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, or ICE. Jakadrien Turner, an American citizen, ran away
from home in November 2010 at the age of 14 following her parents’
divorce and the death of her grandfather. In April, Turner was arrested
by authorities in Houston for shoplifting and gave the authorities a
fake name. The name happened to belong to an undocumented Colombian
immigrant who had warrants for her arrest. Turner, who is African
American and does not speak Spanish, was subsequently deported to
Colombia despite having her fingerprints taken by ICE officials.
Turner’s grandmother used Facebook and the help of Dallas police to
track her down. Colombian officials reportedly took Turner into custody
at the request of the U.S. embassy, but have so far refused to release
her. Some reports have indicated she may be pregnant.



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