DIAMONDHEAD, Miss. (WLOX) — Israel and Max Makoka, brothers from the Republic of the Congo, are back home after nine days in ICE detention.
Israel and Max Makoka, brothers from the Republic of the Congo, are back home after nine days in ICE detention.(wlox)
The boys came to the country legally and were originally at Piney Woods School, but they felt isolated.
Luckily, they were connected to Gail and Cliff Baptiste, who had helped students in their situation before. After moving in with the Baptistes and transferring to Hancock High School, the boys flourished.
“These are two young men that they have no records. They’re good students. They’re good people in the community and their classmates. They love them,” Gail Baptiste said.
Luckily, they were connected to Gail and Cliff Baptiste, who had helped children in their situation before.(wlox)
A lawyer told the Baptistes that the move was okay. However, by transferring to Hancock High, they inadvertently violated the terms of their F-1 nonimmigrant status.
“We should have got a notice. A phone call. The school should have got a notice. A phone call. They went straight to arrest,” Cliff Baptiste said. “Now that’s a broken system right there. They didn’t follow their own protocol.”
“We believe in right and wrong, you know, not whether it’s blue or red or purple,” Gail Baptiste said.
“We should have got a notice. A phone call. The school should have got a notice. A phone call. They went straight to arrest,” the brothers’ host father Cliff Baptiste said.(wlox)
The brothers were waiting for their school bus in Diamondhead the morning of April 21 when Cliff noticed an unfamiliar car loitering nearby, according to the Mississippi Free Press.
“I saw two of the cars coming, like, straight at me,” Max Makoka said. “I’m like, ‘What? What’s happening?’”
Just as the bus arrived, 10 unmarked cars surrounded the scene and ICE agents detained and zip-tied both boys.
“I was calm. I was just, okay, we’re just going to figure it out. I’ll be positive. And they took us in the car, put them handcuffs on us, and took us to Gulfport,” he said.
“I was calm. I was just, okay, we’re just going to figure it out. I’ll be positive. And they took us in the car, put them handcuffs on, and took us to Gulfport,” he said.(wlox)
Israel was taken to jail in Hancock County, but was eventually transferred to a detention facility in Jena, Louisiana.
“When I got transferred to Jena, Louisiana, that was the worst part of the journey,” Israel Makoka said. “I got shackled for, like, six hours around my waist, my arms and my feet — I was so uncomfortable.”
The Baptistes were told Max would stay nearby, but found out he was flown to Houston.
“They told me that he was going to a group home, and it was going to kind of be in the area, and he would have his phone, and he would be able to contact us. He was a minor, so he can keep his phone and contact us, which wasn’t true. Because they took him to Houston, Texas,” Gail Baptiste said.
While the boys were detained, it wasn’t clear how long they would be there or what would happen next.
“I had one roommate over there. And he told me he’d been here for seven months. So for me it was clear. I was like, I can stay here for even a year. So I was scared a little bit,” Max said.
He said the conditions in detention were mentally difficult.
“I was just mentally not here. I was physically here, but not mentally. I was just [in] my thoughts all the time — thinking about it. It was rough.”
“They told me that he was going to a group home, and it was going to kind of be in the area, and he would have his phone, and he would be able to contact us. He was a minor, so he can keep his phone and contact us, which wasn’t true. Because they took him to Houston, Texas. Flew him to Houston, Texas,” the brothers’ host mother Gail Baptiste said.(wlox)
Now, the boys are home, hoping to continue pursuing a better education.
“So let me say like this. It was an investment for the parents to send us here,” Israel said. “Because they were thinking, you know, long term. You know, because they know how America is. You get your degree and, you know, you can go far in life. You know, have a better future.”
“So let me say like this. It was an investment for the parents to send us here,” Israel said. “Because they were thinking, you know, long term. You know, because they know how America is. You get your degree and, you know, you can go far in life. You know, have a better future.”(wlox)
Israel is looking forward to making his family back home proud by walking the stage at graduation.
“That’s what they became like, like our kids. They’re not our kids biologically. But you know, the parents gave us the right to, to, to represent them in this country. And the bond is the same,” Cliff Baptiste said.
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