U.S.-Born Child with Brain Cancer Deported to Mexico with Undocumented Parents

The 10-year-old girl and her siblings, all U.S. citizens, were removed alongside their parents while en route to critical medical care in Houston.

A 10-year-old U.S. citizen with brain cancer was deported to Mexico with her undocumented parents and siblings after being detained at an immigration checkpoint in Texas.
The family was traveling from Rio Grande City to Houston for a medical appointment when they were stopped, despite previously passing through the checkpoint with letters from doctors and lawyers.
The parents, who have lived in the U.S. since 2013 and have no criminal history beyond their immigration status, were given the choice to leave their children in the U.S. or take them to Mexico.
The girl and her 15-year-old brother, who has a heart condition, have been unable to access necessary medical care since their deportation, according to the family.
Advocates have criticized the deportation as part of a resurgence of family separation policies, with officials stating that families can be deported together regardless of children's U.S. citizenship.