Full Breakdown
Deportation and Parole Denial Leaves U.S. Citizen Child with Rare Brain Tumor Without Care
5/18/2026, 10:03:30 PM
Deportation and Parole Denial
In February 2025, officials deported the undocumented mother and father of a 10-year-old U.S. citizen girl who had surgery for a rare brain tumor. Their parole request to return for treatment was denied by USCIS in April 2025 without explanation.
Background & Key Actors
DHS says it does not deport children and asks parents if they prefer removal with them; ICE controls parole decisions. The Texas Civil Rights Project, with attorney Danny Woodward and Rochelle Garza, represents the family, and Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) sent a letter.
Timeline
Feb 3, 2025: Parents and children were detained at a Rio Grande Valley checkpoint and deported to Mexico. Apr 2025: Daughter suffered a seizure; MRI showed abnormalities and denial letters arrived. May 2025: Mother reported loss of speech, writing and memory, noting the child now functions as a 7-8-year-old. Condition worsened; parole applications remain pending with six-to-fifteen-month waits.
Parole Denial Statistics
USCIS recorded 14,500 denials and 1,400 approvals under Trump, and 5,122 denials and 3,935 approvals under Biden; 32,013 applications were pending on Sept. 30, 2025 with six-to-fifteen-month waits.
Child’s Health in Mexico
The mother reports muscle spasms, a paralyzed right arm and pain disrupting sleep. Since leaving U.S. care, the girl lost writing, speech and memory; doctors say her brain is not regenerating, lowering tumor risk. She is not cleared for air travel; no local provider will take the case.
Official Statements
ICE says it controls parole decisions for previously deported individuals. DHS says it does not deport children and asks parents if they prefer removal with them. USCIS notes parole was never intended for broad use and is now applied case-by-case.
Criticism & Opposition
The Texas Civil Rights Project calls the denial “opaque,” noting the family is among first separated; Garza stresses the child cannot receive care without parents; attorneys cite $1,000-plus parole costs and urge bipartisan support.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Denial letters gave no rationale; the mother cannot locate a Mexican provider for the “unnamed ‘novel’ condition.” Over 32,000 parole applications remain pending.
Verbatim Quotes
- “It felt like a bucket of boiling water — or maybe cold water, I don’t even know — was thrown at me.” — Mother (name withheld)
- “My daughter never leaves my side. It would be extremely detrimental to her, in every respect, if I were separated from her,” — Mother
- “Attorney Danny Woodward of the Texas Civil Rights Project said the family can reapply for humanitarian parole down the line.” — Danny Woodward, Attorney, Texas Civil Rights Project
- “We’re talking about a vulnerable U.S. citizen child who cannot come into the country without her parents and her family to get the care that she needs,” — Rochelle Garza, President, Texas Civil Rights Project
- “Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that processes humanitarian parole applications, told NBC News that “ICE has jurisdiction” over parole decisions for previously deported people.” — ICE spokesperson
What’s Next
The family may submit a new parole request, incurring fees above $1,000. The Texas Civil Rights Project will continue strategic outreach to members of Congress across the aisle, seeking legislative support while navigating a backlog of over 32,000 applications. The mother remains in Mexico, providing round-the-clock care as her daughter’s condition deteriorates without specialized U.S. treatment.
