A 2-month-old baby, Juan Nicolás, who developed a severe respiratory illness while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, was deported to Mexico with his mother on Tuesday. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that the infant and his mother, identified as Mireya Stefani Lopez-Sanchez, were apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol near Eagle Pass, Texas, on January 21.
She was transferred to ICE for removal proceedings. The pair had been held at the Dilley Detention Center in Texas, a facility that has been under intense scrutiny lately. Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas had actually met Juan Nicolás and his mother during a visit to Dilley. He raised serious concerns about the boy’s health, reporting that the infant had suffered respiratory issues during his roughly three weeks in custody.
