The family was passing through the Sarita Checkpoint in Texas on the way to the hospital, as they had done many times, when officers detained them. They remained there for six hours before they were taken to a nearby detention facility and put on a bus to Mexico the next day. (Photo: US Customs and Border Protection)
A 10-year-old girl from Texas, a U.S. citizen with brain cancer, was deported to Mexico after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stopped her family while they were rushing her to the hospital. The child’s undocumented parents, who had been taking her to medical appointments, were detained when they couldn’t provide the proper immigration documentation.
The family had been on their way to Houston from their home in Rio Grande for an emergency medical check-up when they were stopped at an immigration checkpoint on February 4. They had made similar trips before without any issues, but this time, the officers detained them. Despite showing letters from doctors explaining the child’s medical condition, the family was still stopped. The mother tried to explain her daughter’s situation, but “they weren’t interested in hearing that,” she said.
Danny Woodward, an attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project, who represents the family, explained that the parents have no criminal history aside from their lack of legal immigration status. Despite their situation, the family was deported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The 10-year-old girl had recently undergone surgery to remove a brain tumor. She was still suffering from brain swelling, which caused challenges with her speech and movement. Doctors were monitoring her condition closely, and she was on medication to prevent seizures, according to The Independent.
The family came to the U.S. from Mexico in 2013, hoping for a better life. Four of their five children were born in the U.S. and are U.S. citizens. They had been living in Texas when they were detained. Their 17-year-old son remains in the U.S.
After the family was detained, they were separated, with the mother and daughters sent to one location and the father and sons to another. After hours of detention, the family was put in a van and dropped off at the Mexican side of a Texas bridge. They spent a week in a shelter before finding a house, but their new life in Mexico has been difficult. The children can’t attend school, and the family faces constant safety concerns.
Rochelle Garza, president of the Texas Civil Rights Project, called the situation a “tragedy,” adding that it’s part of a troubling pattern under the Trump administration. Former border official Tom Homan had said that families could be deported together, regardless of their immigration status.
Without legal documentation, undocumented parents can lose custody of their U.S.-born children when they are detained. If no one is able to take custody, the children can be placed in the U.S. foster care system, which can make it difficult for parents to regain custody later.
The mother of the sick child said her daughter, along with her 15-year-old son who has a heart condition, has not been getting the proper medical care in Mexico. Tearfully, she told NBC, “The authorities have my children’s lives in their hands.”
