The IWC Hospitality program served 29 people in May 2025. Here is just one family’s story.
A mother got ill and fainted at the detention center. She was taken to the hospital. Her two children were removed and placed in Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) custody. IWC received a call from a partner organization that receives migrants released from the detention center. The mother was traumatized and crying. Her primary language was French. She didn’t know how to reach her children or how to get them back. She was instructed to just continue onto her destination, which was New York. She refused and with good reason; she couldn’t leave her babies behind.
IWC initially provided temporary shelter in a hotel and then with a host family. The children were represented by an attorney from the National Center for Youth Law and the mother was represented by an attorney from American Gateways – both of which are affiliated with IWC. A few days later, the mother got both her children back, which was a surprise because everyone was told it would take weeks for reunification.The mother moved to a long-term shelter to think about her future plans, as her sponsor was not as reliable as she thought.
Our Hospitality Coordinator Kabibi Bamuamba, volunteers and attorneys were all part of this reunification team. Without the team, the mother probably would not have her children back. Without IWC stepping in, the situation could have become a critical mental health issue for the mother as she initially wasn’t provided assistance in her primary language or direction on how to get her children back.
