Donald Trump

Massachusetts Attorneys File Lawsuit on Behalf of Mirgrant Separated From Son

Lidia Souza and her 9-year-old son sought asylum in the U.S. after fleeing enemies in Brazil

Two Massachusetts attorneys are filing a federal lawsuit Monday in Chicago for the release of a 9-year-old migrant boy who was separated from his mother at the border.

Lidia Souza says she has not seen her son in three weeks after the two were separated at the border under the Trump administration's family separation policy.

"He cries a lot," Souza told NBC10 Boston. "My son told me that he got sick there. They separated him from other kids nine days ago. It sounds like he is isolated and can’t talk or play with other kids. He is by himself in a room."

Souza said she spoke with her son on Monday to wish him a happy birthday. She said she is unsure of when the two will reunite.

The mother and son flew from Brazil to Mexico in an effort to flee enemies in their homeland and seek asylum. Upon their arrival at the U.S.-Mexico border, the two were detained then separated.

Souza is now living in Massachusetts after being detained for seven days in detention.

Her attorneys claim that she passed a screening by the United States Department of Homeland Security and they determined she had a credible fear and needed asylum.

The lawsuit filed by her attorneys alleges that she was wrongfully detained for making illegal entry.

Souza's attorney, Jesse Bless, said there is no structured method to reunite the mother with her son.

"They have nothing in place and we’ve been told this by the many people in Texas who’ve told us to submit document after document so that the mother and child can reunify and yet there’s nothing being done," Bless said.

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