An entire family was deported to Mexico while on their way to the hospital
A young girl who is recovering from brain cancer has been deported, according to reports.
Last month, a Texas family’s journey to a critical medical appointment for their 10-year-old daughter took an unexpected and heart-wrenching turn when they were stopped by immigration authorities and deported to Mexico.
The family, traveling from Rio Grande to Houston for their daughter’s medical check-up with her specialists, was detained at an immigration checkpoint by Customs and Border Protection. According to their attorney, the family had made this same trip five times before without encountering any issues.
During past trips, undocumented parents were allowed through the checkpoint after providing letters from lawyers and doctors. However, this time, authorities rejected the documents, which had previously been accepted, deeming them insufficient. Despite the lawyer’s confirmation that the parents had no criminal history, the authorities arrested them. At the time, their 10-year-old daughter and four other children were in the car.
Except for one, all the children are U.S. citizens, born in the country.
Faced with the choice to be deported together as a couple or separately as a family, the parents chose to stay united and all return to Mexico. They made this decision because, without their parents, the children could be placed into foster care in the U.S., complicating any future reunification. The 10-year-old girl, who is recovering from brain surgery following a brain cancer diagnosis last year, remains particularly vulnerable.
Since the surgery to remove the tumor, she has been regularly monitored by doctors in Houston.
In an interview with NBC, the mother explained that authorities separated her and her daughters from her husband and sons at the detention center. Then, CBP agents placed the entire family in a van and drove them to Mexico.
After being deported, the family initially found shelter before being moved to a house. However, their sense of security is shaken, as the area they were sent to has seen reports of U.S. citizens being kidnapped, leaving the children fearful for their safety.
Tragically, the couple’s 15-year-old son is also suffering from a serious health condition: Long QT syndrome, a heart disorder that causes irregular heartbeats. If not properly treated, it can be fatal. The mother shared with NBC News that, now that they’ve been deported, her children can’t access the essential healthcare they need.
In December of last year, President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, was questioned about the deportation of mixed-status families. He told The Washington Post that any family separations were the responsibility of the parents, saying, “Here’s the issue. You knew you were in the country illegally and chose to have a child. So you put your family in that position.”
Since taking office, President Trump has focused on strengthening U.S. borders and has made it clear that deportation enforcement will be strict under his administration.
