Parents denied return to US for sick US citizen child

Parents of a US citizen child with a brain tumor were denied humanitarian parole to return to the US for medical care. This is after they were deported in February 2025.
By Newsroom | Immigration, Health |

Federal officials have denied humanitarian parole for the parents of an 11-year-old U.S. citizen girl, who is recovering from a rare brain tumor. The family, including the girl and several of her U.S. citizen siblings, was deported to Mexico in February 2025 after the parents, who lacked legal status, were detained at a Texas border checkpoint.

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The denial of parole has stalled the child's critical medical recovery, with her condition worsening since the family's removal from the United States. Her mother reports increased headaches and dizziness, and the family struggles to access consistent care and medication in Mexico. Essential seizure medication is reportedly being sent from the U.S. due to an inability to source the exact type locally.

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The U.S. citizen child underwent brain surgery in Houston. Since her deportation along with her parents and four siblings, her medical follow-up has been severely disrupted. Lawyers representing the family have highlighted that while the parents lack legal status, nearly all their children are American citizens. The parents are described as having no criminal record.

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Advocacy groups, including the Texas Civil Rights Project, are continuing efforts to secure the family's return to the U.S. for the child's ongoing treatment. Official channels, such as the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), confirm that humanitarian parole is a process for individuals otherwise inadmissible to the U.S. for urgent humanitarian reasons, though statements indicate the process can take over 100 days.

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A Question of Compassion and Procedure

The case brings into focus the complexities of immigration policy when intersecting with severe medical needs, particularly for U.S. citizen children. The family was reportedly presented with an ultimatum at the checkpoint: separate from their children or face removal with them. Their eldest U.S. citizen child, who was not present during the February detention, remains in the United States.

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Reports indicate that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stated they do not deport U.S. citizens who accompany removed family members, yet the family was removed. A complaint has been filed against CBP and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) by the family seeking their return.

Timeline of Events (Based on published dates):

  • March 2025: Parents deported to Mexico with several U.S. citizen children; complaint filed against CBP and DHS.

  • June 2025: Reporting highlights the girl's deteriorating health in Mexico and ongoing parole request.

  • July 2025: Legal resources and information on humanitarian parole are shared amidst the family's stalled recovery.

  • September 2025: Humanitarian parole is denied, and efforts to bring the family back continue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why were the parents of the US citizen child denied humanitarian parole?
Federal officials denied humanitarian parole for the parents who were deported in February 2025. This prevents them from returning to the US to care for their 11-year-old daughter who has a brain tumor.
Q: How is the child's health affected by the parents' deportation?
The child's medical recovery has stalled, and her condition has worsened since her family was removed from the US. She has reported increased headaches and dizziness and struggles to get consistent care and medication in Mexico.
Q: What are the parents' legal circumstances?
The parents lacked legal status in the US and were detained at a Texas border checkpoint before being deported with several of their US citizen children. They have no criminal record.
Q: What are groups like the Texas Civil Rights Project doing?
Advocacy groups, including the Texas Civil Rights Project, are still trying to get the family back to the US so the child can continue her treatment. They have filed a complaint against US Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security.
Q: When were the parents deported and when was parole denied?
The parents were deported in February 2025, and their request for humanitarian parole was denied in September 2025. The child's medical needs have continued to be a major concern throughout this period.