Suny Rodríguez, a 40-year-old honduran and her 9-year-old son Angelo sued the US government in a federal court for having been illegally detained and for inhuman treatment.
In January, 2015, Rodríguez, her partner José Rafael Sánchez and their son were arrested by US border authorities shortly after crossing illegally from Mexico.
Rodríguez told authorities she was scared of going back to Honduras because she had been threatened and physically attacked due to her complaints against police corruption in the Central American country. However, officials from ICE immigration agency and CBP denied an interview to assess their asylum application and threatened her with deportation.
She and her child were separated from Sánchez, and remained in CBP facilities with freezing temperatures, without adequate food and sometimes they even slept on the wet floor.
The three of them were released and were allowed to legally stay in the United States.
The complaint was filed on Wednesday in a federal court in New Jersey. The federal government has 60 days to respond.