A Mexican family living in Los Angeles has been allowed to stay in the United States so their 4-year-old daughter can continue receiving life-saving medical treatment, the family’s attorneys announced Tuesday.
The girl’s mother, Deysi Vargas, and their lawyers had been appealing to the Trump administration for weeks. Their emergency visa was revoked on April 11, putting the family at risk of deportation.
Last week, attorney Gina Amato Lough said the family received multiple notices informing them they were “no longer in lawful status” and could be deported.
The girl, known by the pseudonym Sofia to protect her privacy, is being treated at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Her treatment requires special equipment not available outside the U.S., her attorneys said.
Sofia suffers from a rare condition called short bowel syndrome. She needs 14 hours of intravenous nutrition daily. Doctors warned that without ongoing treatment, Sofia could die within days, Vargas said.
On Tuesday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) granted Sofia and her mother a one-year humanitarian parole starting June 2. This decision came after a biometrics appointment last Friday at the USCIS office in Bakersfield, about 100 miles north of Los Angeles.
“We are deeply grateful that USCIS acted quickly to grant Sofia and her mother humanitarian parole,” Amato Lough said. “This swift action ensures a young girl can continue her life-saving care. We commend USCIS for recognizing the urgency of this case.”
Sofia was diagnosed with short bowel syndrome at seven months old in Mexico. Doctors told her family she needed to come to the U.S. for treatment.
Amato Lough added, “Sofia’s story is one of many. Families seeking refuge in the U.S. often face invisible dangers. Their struggles may not be obvious, but the risks they face are very real.”
