A mother addressed the Houston City Council Oct. 14 saying her 15‑year‑old autistic son, Emmanuel Gonzalez, went missing from northwest Houston and that she learned days later he had been transferred to federal custody under the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), not reunited with her.

The mother said Emmanuel had been missing eight days when she and supporters learned that federal authorities had taken custody. She said Emmanuel underwent emergency appendectomy surgery and that “we just got a call because Emmanuel went into emergency surgery for appendicitis.” She and other speakers said HPD had been contacted when the child was first reported missing and criticized what they described as a failure to return the child to his mother and to issue an Amber Alert.

Council members sought clarification from HPD and city staff. Council Member David (surname not provided in the public record of the transcript) and others asked procedural questions about how the youth was identified and whether HPD officers had established the child’s identity and attempts to reconnect him to family before federal referral. Several council members characterized the circumstances as a serious failure of coordination that requires immediate review.

Mayor Whitmire told the mother the city would assemble a team — legal staff and the chief of staff — to investigate, and he said the administration would “hold everyone accountable and be very transparent.” Council Member Kamen and others pledged assistance and asked staff to help the mother navigate the process; Council Member Pollard said social‑service steps were needed and noted the difficulty this case posed because Emmanuel is nonverbal and has the cognitive capacity of a young child.

Why it matters: The family says Emmanuel is a Houston resident with autism; speakers said he was not an unaccompanied minor and the family alleges HPD contacted federal authorities, which led to ORR custody. Council members and the mayor said they would review facts and coordinate with HPD and other agencies to determine what happened and how to reunite the child with his mother.

Next steps: The mayor said he would convene legal and staff teams immediately, along with HPD and relevant social‑service agencies, to identify options and communicate with the family; council members requested that staff provide updates to the council and the mother.