One-year-old almost dies in ICE custody. Then she is returned to detention center and denied life-saving medication

An 18-month-old girl detained for weeks by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities was returned to custody and subsequently denied necessary life-saving medication after she had just been hospitalized with a severe respiratory illness. This whole situation is just absolutely heartbreaking and completely unacceptable. 

The good news is that the child, identified in a federal lawsuit as “Amalia,” and her parents were released after the family sued the Trump administration on Friday, February 7. The parents are originally from Venezuela, while Amalia herself is a Mexican citizen. The family has lived in the United States since 2024 and intends to apply for asylum, according to the lawsuit filed in Texas federal court.

Reuters reported that Amalia’s medical ordeal began shortly after her family was detained during a routine check-in with immigration authorities on December 11. They were then moved to a detention facility in Dilley, Texas. Amalia first developed a high fever of 104℉ on January 1. By January 18, her condition had deteriorated so badly that she was rushed to the hospital with extremely low oxygen saturation levels, forcing doctors to place her on supplemental oxygen.

You have to wonder why her condition persisted long enough to cause that spiral

Amalia was found to have a devastating combination of infections: COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), viral bronchitis, and pneumonia. She remained hospitalized for 10 days, finally being discharged on January 28. Upon her release from the hospital, Amalia was given a nebulizer and specific respiratory medication to manage her ongoing lung issues. She was also prescribed nutritional drinks to regain strength and lost weight.

However, despite her being sent back to Dilley during a measles outbreak, staff members immediately confiscated the nebulizer and the medication upon her return. Elora Mukherjee, an attorney representing the family, pulled no punches when discussing the incident, stating, “Baby Amalia should never have been detained. She nearly died at Dilley,” 

Mukherjee raised broader concerns about the facility itself, asserting that hundreds of children and families detained at Dilley lack proper medical care, sufficient drinking water, healthy food, and educational opportunities. Her comments seem consistent with other reports of negligence within many facilities. She believes all of them should be released immediately due to the substandard conditions. The Department of Homeland Security has not yet commented on the allegations raised in the lawsuit.

This incident highlights the heavy-handed tactics that critics say have defined President Trump’s mass deportation program. His administration has often been accused of inhumane treatment and violating court orders regarding detained migrants. The fact that Amalia and her parents had to file a lawsuit just to get out of detention after her severe, nearly fatal illness shows exactly why advocates are so concerned about the conditions inside these facilities.