A federal lawsuit filed in Texas is raising renewed concerns about the treatment of children in U.S. immigration detention after alleging that a seriously ill toddler was returned to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and denied critical medical care following a lengthy hospitalization.
According to the complaint, the child an 18-month-old girl identified as “Amalia” was detained with her parents at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in South Texas after the family was taken into custody during a routine immigration check-in in December. The family had fled Venezuela and was seeking protection in the United States.
The lawsuit alleges that while in ICE custody, Amalia became severely ill during a reported measles outbreak at the detention facility. Her condition worsened rapidly in early January, when she developed a high fever, vomiting, breathing difficulties, and dangerously low oxygen levels. Medical providers ultimately diagnosed her with multiple serious respiratory infections, including pneumonia, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus.
