US immigration judge orders deportation of teen who was already dead

A US immigration judge in North Carolina has ordered the deportation of a Honduran teenager who was killed in a shooting months before his scheduled court hearing, according to reporting by The Guardian.

Judge Amy Lee signed the removal order against Levi Mendez-Maldonado on 21 May after ruling that he had failed to appear in court.

Mendez-Maldonado arrived in the United States as an unaccompanied minor and was later shot dead in Charlotte in November 2024.

Immigration lawyer Becca O’Neill attended the hearing on his behalf and informed the court that her client had died. She also presented police records related to his death.

According to O’Neill, the judge said the documents were not sufficient proof and continued with the hearing.

“The whole thing probably took maybe five minutes. The attorney acted like we were talking about the weather. The judge didn’t take a moment to reorient herself after hearing he was dead,” O’Neill told The Guardian.

The final court order reportedly stated: “Despite the written notification provided, Respondent failed to appear at the hearing, and no exceptional circumstances were shown for the failure to appear.”

O’Neill criticised the ruling, saying: “This is the banality of evil.”

Advocates said the case highlights broader concerns about how immigrants are treated within the US immigration system.