A critically ill 4-year-old girl living in California with her mother was asked to self-deport last month, but her lawyers and doctors say she could die if her treatment is interrupted.
Deysi Vargas, 28, and her daughter, identified by the pseudonym Sofia, arrived in the U.S. from Mexico in 2023, seeking better medical care to treat the young girl’s short bowel syndrome, a rare condition where a significant portion of the small intestine is missing or unable to function properly, according to reports from the Los Angeles Times.
The two entered the U.S. legally under a humanitarian parole, but last month the Trump administration terminated their parole and ordered them to self-deport, according to the family’s attorneys at the Los Angeles-based Public Counsel.
“It is time for you to leave the United States,” The letter by the Department of Homeland Security reviewed by HuffPost read.
DHS warned Vargas that if she did not leave the U.S. immediately, she would be subject to potential law enforcement actions that would result in her removal unless she obtained a “lawful basis to remain.” In addition to the warning, DHS terminated any benefits connected with Vargas’ parole, such as work authorization.
