Kidnapped and Scarred: Juan's Story

Juan is a smart and sweet five-year-old boy from Honduras. He likes to play with toys and cars and enjoys drawing and coloring.

Juan’s mother was sold to and raped by a human trafficker as a child. She escaped after four years and gave birth to Juan. He became her joy, and her sole mission was to protect him from the abuse and dehumanization that she experienced as a child. So, when a man began to stalk her and threaten her life, Juan’s mother knew that she had to flee to keep herself and her child safe.

In October 2019, they arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking safety. Without a chance to tell their story, Juan and his mother were returned to Matamoros under the Remain in Mexico policy to wait for a court date. Juan and his mother stayed in the refugee camp near the border.

The area was controlled by a Mexican cartel. One day near the camp’s entrance, a group of men in a vehicle attempted to kidnap Juan’s mother when she returned from a convenience store with Juan. She quickly grabbed Juan, and they fell to the ground. Juan injured his cheek during the fall, leaving a scar on his face. Following these events, Juan’s mother was afraid to leave the camp for any reason.

Juan became ill due to the extreme weather conditions in Matamoros, where he endured very hot temperatures during the day and extremely cold temperatures at night. He also lost his appetite. Although his mother searched for medical assistance, she could not find the medical attention that Juan needed. She felt trapped in the camp because she was petrified that cartel members would attempt to kidnap her again if she ventured from her tent. Her worst fears were realized when at one point, the mother and son were kidnapped for two months. This experience was deeply traumatizing for Juan and forced his mother to make the difficult decision of separating from him.

With no other option to save her son, Juan’s mother sent him to the border to seek protection alone. For Juan, the trauma did not end when he was allowed into the country and taken into protective custody. After their separation, he constantly cried, called for his mother to return, and wet the bed at night, a sign of developmental regression for a child his age.

Once in government custody, Juan was temporary placed in the care of a foster family and then released to his mother’s fiancé in the United States. While at his mother’s fiancé’s house, Juan missed his mom terribly and would have video calls with her every day for several hours until they were reunited.

Child’s name has been changed to protect his privacy.