In Los Angeles, a young girl from Mexico, just four years old, has been granted the opportunity to continue her vital medical treatment in the United States. This decision by federal authorities arrives following a period of uncertainty during which there were concerns about her possible deportation. The news came as a relief to her family after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security extended humanitarian parole to both the child and her mother for one year, according to communications from the family’s legal representatives at Public Counsel.
Earlier, the family received alarming notifications in April and May indicating that their status could be revoked, potentially leading to deportation. This situation is part of broader efforts by the existing administration to overturn immigration policies established under former President Joe Biden. These policies had previously offered temporary legal standing to certain migrants, permitting their stay in the U.S. typically for two years.
Upon entering the U.S. via the Mexico border in 2023, the girl was swiftly hospitalized due to her serious medical needs. Her condition, known as short bowel syndrome, necessitates that she receives her nutrition intravenously via a special backpack, as she is unable to absorb nutrients conventionally. Her legal team has underscored that the essential treatment she requires is unavailable in Mexico, which means her life depends significantly on the healthcare she receives in the U.S.
Although the recent decision was met with gratitude by the family and their attorneys, it emphasized the systemic communication issues with federal immigration authorities that need addressing. They noted that the girl’s parole was unexpectedly terminated, citing that it took significant public advocacy and intervention by elected officials to finally receive a decision—a process previously manageable with just a phone call.
Humanitarian parole, which doesn’t offer a path to U.S. citizenship, has been extensively applied during Biden’s tenure to manage migration at the U.S.-Mexico border. Historically, it has been used selectively to deal with emergencies and to assist individuals fleeing crises in regions like Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos.
The girl’s mother, Deysi Vargas, recounted how her daughter’s life in Mexico was mostly within hospital confines, given her health challenges. Now, thanks to the treatment facilitated at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the young girl can enjoy a more typical childhood, participating in everyday activities like visiting the park and shopping in Bakersfield, California. According to the legal team, while the intense medical regimen involving often 14 hours a day of intravenous treatment won’t be a lifetime necessity, the girl is still far from reaching the stage where she could naturally manage without it.