CORPUS CHRIST (KIII NEWS) — Liliana Martinez had her 5-year-old son taken from her when she was detained in an Arizona prison. At the time, she was attempting to seek asylum in the United States.
With the help of an immigration activist group, Martinez was released; that's when the search for her child began.
Volunteers from Immigration Families Together paid the bond for Martinez's release from prison.
"We are helping get those moms from point A to point B wherever those kids might be," advocates Aly Fitzpatrick and Dionne Ukleja. "Transportation and release is sort of where we are."
And that process is a strenuous one.
Martinez was told her son was in Houston so she was driven there. After she arrived, Martinez was told her son was actually hours away in Corpus Christi.
Even when Martinez arrived to where her son was being held, she had to put up a fight for him to be returned to her.
Deeann Miller, an attorney helping Martinez, said there is no exact way in place to reunite families.
"When a parent gets released their is no steps to follow to get your child back and so your kind of just shooting darts at a wall hoping something sticks," Miller said.
While that may be the case, Martinez said she was never going to give up.
"We have to keep fighting for our kids we have to get justice for our kids," Martinez said. "Our kids need us."
Now together again, Martinez said she is going to cherish every moment with her son.
"Me and my son are going to spend time together to make up for the time lost," Martinez said.
She will be living in Houston awaiting her asylum hearing.
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