Orlin was 3 years old when he was separated from his mother and placed in a relative’s care. Weeks later, he died, and his story became a call to action to ensure other children don’t go through the same thing

Orlin Hernandez Reyes was 3 years old and had been born in the United States. That wasn’t enough to protect him.

On January 8, 2026, his mother, Wendy Hernandez Reyes, was detained during a traffic stop in Alabama. She was later deported to Honduras. Orlin was left behind in the care of his mother’s brother-in-law, Samuel Antonio Maldonado Erazo, in Escambia County, in northwestern Florida. According to Wendy’s attorney, Shalyn Fluharty, the mother had asked for her son to be deported with her. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal maintains that the child ended up living with a violent uncle.

Orlin was murdered at the age of 3. A secondary source places his death in March 2026.

On July 16, 2026, Jayapal introduced the “Orlin Act” in Congress, a bill that seeks to prevent the detention or deportation of parents or primary caregivers of minors, unless they pose a threat to public safety. It would require clear evidence of a specific risk and establish a coordination office for detained parents. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz joined as a cosponsor. For now, it is only a proposal introduced by Democratic lawmakers.