Federal immigration officials are facing criticism after a Texas congressman accused them of sending a seriously ill 2-month-old infant back to Mexico despite the baby’s deteriorating health condition.
Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas claimed Tuesday on social media that Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed the infant, who was suffering from bronchitis and had become unresponsive for several hours before being released from medical care.
According to Castro, the baby was sent back to Mexico alongside a 16-month-old sibling and both parents. The congressman said he verified these details through the family’s legal representative.
Castro condemned the action, stating: “To unnecessarily deport a sick baby and his entire family is heinous.”
The lawmaker promised to “hold ICE accountable for this monstrous action.”
However, Department of Homeland Security representative Tricia McLaughlin disputed Castro’s characterization Wednesday, explaining that medical professionals determined the infant was in “stable condition and medically cleared for removal.” She added that doctors provided the parents with nasal saline solution and a bulb syringe for continued treatment.
McLaughlin detailed that Border Patrol agents detained the infant’s mother, Mireya Stefani Lopez-Sanchez, after she illegally crossed near Eagle Pass, Texas, on January 21st.
The mother decided to keep her child with her during the transfer to ICE custody, McLaughlin explained.
“All of her claims were heard by a judge and found not to be valid,” McLaughlin stated.
A federal judge ordered Lopez-Sanchez’s removal on February 8th, and she was sent back to Mexico with her child this past Tuesday, according to McLaughlin.
“She received full due process,” McLaughlin emphasized.
Immigration authorities’ handling of children has faced increased examination since the Trump administration intensified border enforcement efforts.
Public attention recently focused on 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was photographed wearing a bunny hat while surrounded by ICE agents in Minnesota last month. A judge subsequently ordered the release of both the child and his father.
The father and son were detained at the same Dilley, Texas family facility where Castro said Lopez-Sanchez and her infant were held.
Previous court documents from last year revealed that families and oversight groups reported problems at federal facilities, including contaminated meals and inadequate access to healthcare and legal representation. The filings also indicated that hundreds of immigrant children remained in federal custody longer than court-imposed time limits, with some detained for more than five months.
According to the National Institute of Health, bronchitis occurs when lung airways become inflamed, resulting in persistent coughing.
