Jennie Spector, who has been supporting the family since July, described the call as a “very good development”. She said a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer at the Orange County Correctional Facility in upstate New York, where Zheng is being held, made it possible.
Spector, who spoke with Zheng after the call, said that “I could just hear the relief in his voice knowing that he’s [Yuanxin] doing as OK as he can”.
In a statement to the South China Morning Post, the ORR cited the “privacy and security of unaccompanied alien children” in refusing to comment on the case.
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Chinese boy’s whereabouts unknown after detention by US immigration officers
Chinese boy’s whereabouts unknown after detention by US immigration officers
Spector said that Yuanxin could be with a foster family, but it was not confirmed. Activists have raised concerns about the trauma of being separated from his parent and his limited ability to communicate his needs and feelings, as Mandarin is his primary language.
