Erik Lanuza, 12, smiles as he is greeted by his aunt Sylvia Castillo, 42. Erik's mother Nuria Lanuza (left), 33, and grandmother Laura Palacios, 66, smile as well. Erik was held 4 months in a US detention center after his father was deported back to Guatemala during the height of Zero Tolerance policy. Guatemala City, Guatemala. September 12, 2018.
Erik Lanuza's mother Nuria Lanuza (left), 33, aunt Sylvia Castillo, 42, and father Erik Castillo, 39, wait at Guatemala City's airport for the child's arrival.
Erik Lanuza's grandmother Laura Palacios (right), 66, holds an airplane balloon with the words "Te quiero mucho canchito" (I love you lots my little blondie) as she awaits the arrival of her grandson.
Erik Lanuza's father Erik Castillo, 39, sits on a sidewalk as he awaits his son's arrival at Guatemala City's airport.
Erik Lanuza's mother Nuria Lanuza, 33, and father Erik Castillo, 39, receive notice from a social worker that their child will not exit through the airport's arrival lobby and must head to a government-run shelter in the city's center.
Indigenous Guatemalan women await for family members to arrive outside Guatemala City's international airport.
Sylvia Castillo (second from left), 42, and Laura Palacios, 66, await for the arrival of their nephew and grandson, respectively.
Erik Lanuza's mother Nuria Lanuza, 33, receives notice from a social worker that her son will not exit through the airport's arrival lobby and must head to a government-run shelter in the city's center.
Erik Lanuza, 12, exits a government-run shelter along with his mother Nuria Lanuza, 33, and father Erik Castillo, 39.
Nuria Lanuza, 33, takes a selfie with her son Erik Castillo Lanuza, 12, moments after being reunified.
Zero Tolerance Reunification
Erik is one of more than 2,500 children the United States government separated from their parents after the Trump administration instituted a “zero tolerance” policy requiring anyone who crossed the border at unofficial ports of entry to be prosecuted, including people who gave themselves up to border officials, asking for asylum.
After four months in detention, Erik reunited with his family at a governmental reception center in Guatemala City. Eric's parents, however, learned that while in Chicago their 12-year-old son had been put on an antipsychotic drug called risperidone — a powerful medication used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Full story in the LA Times.