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Is State Keeping Kids Because Mom’s an Immigrant?
A baby abducted when he was just four days old has been found, his kidnapper arrested. So why won’t the state return Yair Anthony Carillo to his mother?
That’s the mystery in Tennessee, where not only has Yair not been returned, but his three older siblings have been taken away from mom Maria Gurrolla “for their safety.”
Gurrolla was hospitalized after a woman posing as an immigration official showed up at her home shortly after she returned home from giving birth to Yair. According to media reports, the woman attacked Gurrolla with a kitchen knife (pictures show deep slashes on her face), grabbed the baby and took off, leaving Gurrolla’s three-year-old daughter behind in the house.
The baby was found in Alabama with Tammy Renee Silas, who has been placed under arrest for the kidnapping and assault on Gurrolla. Silas had told her boyfriend she’d adopted the baby, which she’d prepared for well in advance of the alleged attack on Gurrolla.
Federal officials immediately began talking of reuniting baby with mom. But suddenly that changed with a decision for Gurrolla to see her son only briefly, while officials also pulled her three-year-old, nine-year-old and eleven-year-old out of her home.
So why is this now being laid on Gurrolla? Is it because she’s an immigrant?
Officials believe she was targeted precisely because of her fear of immigration officials (hence the role Silas allegedly used to get into her house) and her limited English skills. They say this isn’t the first time such tactics were used by a criminal.
But with word from officials that the kids will be “safer” away from their mother, it sound an awful lot like the victim in this crime is once again being victimized. She’s a low income mother with frequent dealings with the state in order to get her WIC and other social programs. With their frequent oversight of her family, it’s hard to believe that this case suddenly uncovered some child abuse.
Possible, of course, but looking more and more unlikely. So why aren’t her kids safe with her? Because she’s been victimized by a criminal preying on women of her particular background?
With the kidnapper safe in prison, does it seem fair to continue victimizing the victim?
Image: AP
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Lisa commented on Oct 05 09 at 6:09 pmOr it could be that her home is unsafe for children. Why do you assume that she’s a victim of racism instead of considering the possibility that we don’t have all the information and yes, the government sometimes does act in good faith?
Sam commented on Oct 05 09 at 6:50 pm“Or it could be that her home is unsafe for children. Why do you assume that she’s a victim of racism instead of considering the possibility that we don’t have all the information and yes, the government sometimes does act in good faith?”
Do you seriously doubt that she could be a victim of racism? We do not have all of the information; but the government takes babies away for their parents developing bath tub photos. I have no faith that the government is acting in good faith here. Her babies need to be returned to her; and we need to fight on behalf of this mother. I doubt this would be the case if this horrible thing would have happened to a white woman; her baby would have been returned to her and her other children would not have been taken away. This is extremely scary. Babies should not be taken away from the home unless extreme neglect and abuse is proven. This is sad, and most likely racism.
Lisa commented on Oct 05 09 at 7:32 pmyeah because God knows only white people abuse and neglect their children.
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Oct 05 09 at 7:33 pmThe state has given no good reason for why they have stolen this woman’s children. Of course, they can get away with it because she’s an immigrant. They know that most people will turn either a blind eye.
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Oct 05 09 at 7:33 pmThe state has given no good reason for why they have stolen this woman’s children. Of course, they can get away with it because she’s an immigrant.
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Oct 05 09 at 7:34 pmOooh, commenting fail… my bad.
Lisa commented on Oct 05 09 at 7:41 pmThe state isn’t obligated to prove anything to you… only a judge
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Oct 05 09 at 8:19 pmAnd this, people, is how you get warrantless wiretapping.
jenny tries too hard commented on Oct 05 09 at 8:40 pmThe state doesn’t give reason when they take children to protect the children’s privacy, esp. when there are cases of suspected sex abuse. That doesn’t mean she couldn’t have been a victim of racism…just that the lack of a stated reason for taking the kids doesn’t mean it automatically was racism.
MsFortune commented on Oct 06 09 at 12:09 amI read that someone in the birth family was trying to sell the kids. I don’t know if this is related to the kidnapping or not. But the kids are temporarily in care for their safety.
But it’s much easier to just assume the EVIL government is racist and preying on the parent.
MMCMomma commented on Oct 06 09 at 1:59 amAs a white, middle-class victim of EVIL government who acted on hearsay instead of actual proof in a case where a CPS call was based on retribution from a psycho as opposed to actual proof of child abuse, I’m absolutely willing to believe that the “officials” acted without good reason. They sure as hell did in my case. Yes, I got my kid back, Yes, I got an official apology from the governement, but NO, that doesn’t change the fact that more often than not it’s guilty until proven innocent in their eyes. If this woman’s crime is being guilty of a different ethnicity and birth origin, then I fear that the outcome for her will be grim. Here’s hoping this story comes to light later with either substantiated proof, or a happy ending.
jenny tries too hard commented on Oct 06 09 at 7:31 amAmen
desirerich commented on Oct 06 09 at 8:31 amI agree that there are some DCFS cases where children are taken out of the home prematurely…but there are also cases where the state gives parents too much leverage and too many chance–those children are further victimized while the state dithers. Either set of circumstances are tragic, but I’d rather the system err on the side of the children.
Lauren commented on Oct 06 09 at 2:28 pmHow is taking away children who haven’t been abused and placing them in an unfamiliar home erring on the side of the children? Some stupid teacher called CPS on my aunt because my cousin was out of school too often. In the hospital, with crones disease. If she hadn’t gotten a lawyer immediately there might have been a real problem.
Ali commented on Oct 06 09 at 2:35 pmThey took the baby from her because a family member is accused of trying to sell the baby. The story is the kidnapper showed up ready to pay the fee and the mom wanted more so they got into a fight. Why do educated white people always think it is about race?
Bev commented on Oct 08 09 at 9:04 amThere have been a recent spate of incidents where the government has targeted families of immigrants. Didn’t we read right her on this blog about a woman who didn’t speak English who had her newborn infant taken from her? Here is the link:
http://blogs.babble.com/strollerderby/2009/06/29/should-speaking-english-be-a-requirement-for-moms/
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