Host mother speaks out after Hancock High students picked up by ICE

HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. (WXXV) — It’s been more than a week since two Hancock High School foreign exchange students were taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

On April 21, Israel and Max Makoka — brothers from The Republic of the Congo who have been living in the United States on F-1 visas — were taken into custody by ICE after unknowingly falling out of legal status.

What was seemingly a normal morning quickly turned chaotic. Host mother Gail Baptiste says the boys were waiting for the school bus when they were picked up by ICE. Eighteen-year-old Israel had his hands ziptied and 15-year-old Max was placed into a car.

The Baptiste family claims they did not hear from the boys until that Saturday, but the brothers have since been separated.

As to why, according to an ice spokesperson, the Makoka brothers violated their student visas by failing to attend classes at Piney Woods School – which they were attending in Rankin County before transferring to Hancock High in the Kiln.

Baptiste was unaware of any changes to the Makokas visa status and they were informed by legal counsel that their status as the legal guardians of the Makoka brothers had them covered in the transfer of schools.

Now, the Baptiste family is desperately working to bring the boys home – as Israel was set to graduate from high school in May.