Kamal Ghorui
A two-month-old baby boy, Juan Nicolas, who was in ICE custody at the Dilley detention centre in South Texas, has been deported. Juan was discharged from a hospital late last night after developing bronchitis and becoming unresponsive at some point, Congressman Joaquin Castro said on social media.After speaking with the family’s attorney, Castro said he confirmed the boy and his family were deported back to Mexico after spending three weeks at the Dilley ICE Detention Center. He said ICE deported the family with only the money that they had in their commissary, $190 total. The boy, his 16-month-old sister, and his mum and dad were deported.“To unnecessarily deport a sick baby and his entire family is heinous. My staff and I are in contact with Juan’s family. We are laser-focused on tracking them down, holding ICE accountable for this monstrous action, demanding specific details on their whereabouts and wellbeing, and ensuring their safety,” Castro said on X.
News 4 asked Senator Cornyn, who spoke at a rally in San Antonio today, about the Dilley facility. He said, “None of these men and women behind me that work in the Border Patrol want to see anybody treated less than humanely….but I think most of what you’re hearing are what I would call horror stories that are largely made up by the mainstream media, and certainly I will continue to try to do my job, and that is to provide appropriate oversight to Department of Homeland Security facilities.“Castro also provided an update on a seven-year-old Venezuelan girl, Maria Isabella, who was recently released from Dilley. She and her mother are asylum seekers now living in the Austin area, and Maria Isabella celebrated her eighth birthday at home with her family.Officials continued to monitor conditions at the Dilley centre, including a recent measles case. The company that managed the facility, CoreCivic, said the clinic was staffed and emergency care was available 24/7.In a statement on Tuesday night, a DHS spokesperson said the boy was taken to a local hospital in Pearsall for treatment of a respiratory infection but was not admitted. The spokesperson said hospital staff determined he was stable and remained alert and responsive during the evaluation.“On February 16, staff transported a child to a local hospital in Pearsall, Texas, for a precautionary evaluation after he showed symptoms of a respiratory infection. The child’s mother accompanied him and was able to monitor his condition throughout the hospital visit.“Hospital staff found the child’s condition stable, and he remained alert and responsive during the evaluation. The hospital did not admit him, and he has since returned to Dilley where medical personnel continue to monitor his health. He is in stable condition alert and responsive and continues to receive proper care.
