Due to her parents’ undocumented status, the Trump administration deported a 10-year-old United States citizen who was receiving cancer treatment.
The family was on their way to an emergency medical checkup for their daughter when they were detained by immigration officers and deported to Mexico. One of Donald Trump’s most prominent campaign promises was to tighten immigration restrictions.
Once elected, he quickly appointed Tom Homan as “border czar,” a vocal supporter of separating families as a deterrent to illegal immigration.
However, in his second term, Trump promised to deport entire families, even if the children were US citizens. The Trump administration has done exactly that, and the outcome is even more cruel than one could have imagined.
Trump administration deports young cancer patient
According to NBC News, a family is fighting to return to the United States after being deported during their 10-year-old daughter’s cancer treatment. To ensure the family’s safety, the outlet kept their identity hidden.
The unidentified girl was diagnosed with brain cancer last year and had surgery to remove the tumour. She is still in recovery, dealing with brain swelling and its effects on her speech and mobility, which necessitates regular doctor visits to monitor her progress, prescriptions, and rehabilitation.
The family made multiple trips from Rio Grande City to Houston for doctor’s appointments. Previously, letters from doctors and lawyers were enough to get them through immigration checkpoints due to their daughter’s medical needs.
However, in February, the letters were suddenly not accepted. Immigration agents detained the family, ignoring the mother’s desperate explanation for her daughter’s situation.
After being taken to a detention center, the parents and five of their children (four of whom were born in the United States) were packed into a van and driven to Mexico, where they sought housing and shelter. They ended up settling in an area notorious for kidnapping US citizens, which is why NBC had to conceal their identities.
They are currently struggling to find adequate health care for their daughter and 15-year-old son, who has a heart condition. The future remains uncertain if they are unable to return to the United States to provide their children with the necessary care.
The mother told NBC News that “the authorities have my children’s lives in their hands.” For context, the family has no criminal record and has been living and working in the United States for over 12 years, hoping to provide a better life for their six children, one of whom remained in Texas after the family was deported. Their story is not an isolated incident.
ICE recently arrested an undocumented mother who served as the primary caregiver for her cancer-stricken daughter. In that case, the mother was released on bond, but it is unclear how many cases like this exist as the Trump administration cracks down on undocumented immigrants with no criminal history.
It is arresting and deporting families who are simply trying to care for their sick children and provide the medical care they require.
In many of these cases, the children are US citizens with a right to be here. The administration has yet to explain how turning away 10-year-old cancer patients and disrupting their treatment will make America “great again.”
