HOUSTON — A 15-year-old boy with autism who disappeared for six days has been found safe, but despite earlier reports, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said he was never in their custody.

On Friday, FIEL Houston said Emmanuel Gonzalez was being held in an immigration facility. KHOU 11 reached out to ICE, who told us that last Sunday, the Houston Police Department contacted them about Emmanuel. They said the teen told them he was from another country. ICE said it worked with Houston police to try to identify him, then placed him with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement. ICE said he was never in their custody.

Below is the full statement released to KHOU 11 Saturday, Oct. 11, from ICE: 

“On Oct. 5, the Houston Police Department contacted ICE about a minor they had picked up who claimed to be homeless and from another country. ICE worked with HPD to see if they could identify the minor or any of the minor’s family members living in the U.S. When no family could be identified, ICE helped HPD place the minor with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement. At no point was the minor in ICE custody. For additional information please contact the Office of Refugee Resettlement or HPD.”

Emmanuel first vanished on Saturday, Oct. 4. According to Houston police, Emmanuel was originally found by Houston Fire Department officials the next day during a welfare check. At this point, we don’t know the location HFD was called to on the check.

Once they found him, HFD contacted Houston police. Police say Emmanuel told them he was homeless and didn’t have family and couldn’t give any contact information.

Police then called Child Protective Services, who told them it couldn’t take him, and referred police to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That’s when Emmanuel was placed with the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

On Friday, once his family learned he was located and safe, they were able to speak with him during a 30-minute FaceTime call.

“Emmanuel is in good health. He seems to be physically okay. He is a little bit scared,” said Cesar Espinosa with FIEL, an advocacy organization working with the family.

According to his mother, Maria Garcia, Emmanuel said he was picked up by law enforcement on Sunday — the day after he went missing. He was taken to a hotel and then transferred to a facility on Monday. A detective told Garcia that the Office of Refugee Resettlement is running the facility where her son is being held.

The teen, who is from Nicaragua, does not speak English.

Garcia said Emmanuel told her that he was okay.

Despite the relief of knowing her son is safe, Garcia described the situation as a mix of emotions.

“Un sabor agridulce, en verdad, porque no esperaba eso. Esperaba que mi hijo regresara conmigo,” Garcia said, meaning, “A bittersweet feeling, really, because I didn’t expect that — I expected my son to come back home with me.”

The mother’s emotions have swung between gratitude and anguish. She said she wants her son to returned to her.