(Newser)
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A 14-year-old American runaway was mistakenly deported to Colombia by authorities in Texas months ago, and was only recently tracked down by a relative. The screw-up occurred when the girl gave a fake name that happened to match a 22-year-old illegal alien, and officials never bothered to confirm her identity, reports CBS News. Jakadrien Turner is African-American, didn't speak Spanish when she was shipped abroad and had no connections to Colombia. She has been working long hours as a maid in Bogata, and is now pregnant, according to the Dallas Morning News.
"How do you deport a teenager and send her to Colombia without a passport, without anything?" asked her furious grandmother, who recently located her via Facebook. The teen is currently being held in a detention facility in Colombia, where officials are refusing to release her despite the family's request to send her home. Officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement are investigating the case. "ICE takes these allegations very seriously," said a spokesman. Her grandmother said: "I need help and I need a prayer."
