MEXICO / TEXAS BORDER (June 2025) — An 11-year-old U.S. citizen girl suffering from a rare and life-threatening brain tumor is pleading with the Trump administration to allow her family to return to the United States so she can access the specialized medical care she urgently needs.
The child, who was deported alongside her undocumented parents during President Donald Trump’s second term, was removed from the U.S. in early February after being detained at a Customs and Border Protection checkpoint while en route to a hospital in Houston. The family had previously made the trip without issue.
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- 1 A Rare and Aggressive Diagnosis
- 2 Arrested at the Border, Deported Overnight
- 3 Life in Exile: Fear, Violence, and Medical Shortages
- 4 Parallel Cases, Growing Backlash
- 5 A Plea for Compassion
According to Danny Woodward, an attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project, the family has now filed an emergency request for humanitarian parole with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), hoping for a temporary return to seek treatment for the girl’s rapidly worsening condition.
“We’re fighting for my girl’s life,” the child’s mother told NBC News. “She isn’t suffering from just any illness. She won’t be cured overnight—it takes time.”
A Rare and Aggressive Diagnosis
Doctors have described the child’s brain tumor as so unusual that they considered documenting it in a medical journal. After a major seizure in 2024 nearly claimed her life, Houston-based specialists were able to stabilize her with intensive care and a precise medication regimen that cannot be replicated in rural Mexico, where the family now resides.
Woodward said local hospitals in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley were unable to provide adequate treatment, necessitating repeated trips—at least five in 2024—to the medical center in Houston.
“The formula for her anti-seizure medication is so specific that only U.S. pharmacies seem to carry it,” Woodward added. “She’s not a Mexican citizen, and that further complicates treatment access.”
Arrested at the Border, Deported Overnight
On February 3, 2025, the family attempted to drive from the Rio Grande Valley to Houston when they were stopped at an internal border checkpoint. They presented their three U.S. citizen children’s birth certificates and a letter from the hospital explaining their medical urgency.
But Woodward says policy shifts under the Trump administration meant that what once sufficed was no longer enough. The entire family was detained, and deported the next day—before the child could even reach the hospital.
The girl’s mother was only allowed to speak to an attorney for three minutes before allegedly being pressured to end the call by border agents. Woodward emphasized that the family has no criminal history beyond immigration violations.
Life in Exile: Fear, Violence, and Medical Shortages
Now living in a rural village in Mexico, the family faces the dual threat of cartel violence and medical instability. Woodward reported that the parents, while working in agricultural fields, recently saw corpses on the roadside—believed to be victims of local criminal groups.
“This is not a safe place for any American citizen, let alone a sick child,” Woodward told the Daily Beast.
The family has not released their names publicly due to fear of retaliation and violence in their current location.
Parallel Cases, Growing Backlash
Woodward referenced a similar case in California, where a 4-year-old girl with a critical intestinal condition was granted humanitarian parole in May after her deportation sparked public outcry. He hopes a similar outcome is possible for this family, but noted that USCIS has not yet expedited the case.
“We’re getting messages from people across the political spectrum,” he said. “Many are saying, ‘We voted for tougher immigration policies—not for deporting deathly sick U.S. citizen children.’”
The case has drawn attention on social media and among civil rights organizations, with many urging the administration to balance enforcement with humanity.
A Plea for Compassion
While the outcome of the family’s parole application remains uncertain, supporters are calling for swift action to allow the girl to return to the United States for critical care.
“This is a test of our nation’s values,” Woodward said. “Will we allow a U.S. citizen child to die in exile simply because of her parents’ status, or will we choose compassion and do what’s right?”
