Sthefany Flores, 19, said her mother Reina was stopped on her way to work, detained and deported to her native country. KILGORE, Texas — A Kilgore woman is now forced to raise her younger brother after her mother was deported to El Salvador. Sthefany Flores, 19, said her mother Reina was stopped on her way to work, detained and deported to her native country. “She was scared, she was worried. She was already ICE-detained, so there was nothing I could do for her in that moment,” she said. Both Sthefany and her brother are U.S. citizens. Court records indicate that their father was deported roughly six years ago, leaving their mother to raise them alone — until now. “So knowing that my dad was away, it hurt me. The person I saw as my superhero is gone. My mom being taken away, it’s like the same story all over again,” Flores said. Gilbert Urbina, executive director of the Hispanic American Association, said Flores’ mother missed a court date in 2006. “If that court date is missed, they issue what’s called a removal in absentia, and that means that the person is ordered deported at that time period,” Urbina said. Urbina said her case may have gone unnoticed by the immigration system for years until a traffic stop in August brought it back to authorities' attention. “Sometimes it could be because of illness or pregnancy or a family emergency, and what they do not know is how to notify the court that that has happened,” he said. He added that her case is more common than many realize. “Sometimes they set a court in a different state, other than where you’re at and because there’s not enough help or legal assistance, then they miss a court date,” Urbina said. Now, Flores communicates with her mother only through phone calls. She said she has had to grow up fast, caring for her younger brother and putting her own life on hold. “It’s just hard not having somebody to call, to hug, to cry to, somebody that I can just have — your parents. It’s hard,” Flores said. Her brother will soon graduate high school and hopes to attend college — a path Flores had once planned for herself. Now, she works three jobs to support them both. “It’s just so hard, because you go from having this beautiful family, this beautiful place, to the unknown, just thrown in there without knowing anything,” she said. Flores said the impact of deportation hits families hard, and she is living it every day. “I really do hope that at some point in life I can see them again, hug them, tell them that I love them,” she said. The family has started a fundraiser to help cover Flores’ car repairs for getting to work, as well as living expenses. To help, contact email: Olitalowry@gmail.com.