2-Month-Old Reportedly Suffering from Bronchitis Deported to Mexico After Weeks at Texas Detention Center

A 2-month-old baby reportedly suffering from bronchitis was deported to Mexico after three weeks at an immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas, Rep. Joaquin Castro said in a post on X on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Castro said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported the child, his 16-month-old sister, and their parents “with only the money that they had in their commissary—a total of $190,” citing the family’s attorney. He identified the infant as Juan Nicolás.

The Frio County Sheriff’s Office told KSAT that Juan Nicolás was taken to a hospital on Monday, Feb. 16, after becoming ill with bronchitis.

Castro said the baby was discharged Monday night, despite being “unresponsive” at times during the day. He also said that early Tuesday, the baby’s mother appeared before an immigration judge who told her she would be deported but did not say when or where.

In a Monday video posted on social media, Castro said Juan Nicolás had been held at the Dilley facility for about three to three and a half weeks. He said that at one point, there was no doctor available for the infant to see in the early morning hours and warned that the child’s “life is in danger.”

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said a child was taken to a local hospital in Pearsall, Texas, “for a precautionary evaluation after he showed symptoms of a respiratory infection” on Feb. 16. The spokesperson added that the child’s mother was able to monitor him during the visit.

According to the statement, hospital staff found the child’s condition stable and said he remained alert and responsive during the evaluation. The hospital did not admit him, and the child returned to the Dilley facility, where medical personnel continued monitoring his health. DHS said the child was stable, alert, and receiving proper care.

DHS also said it has a longstanding practice of providing medical care when someone enters ICE custody, including medical, dental, and mental health services as available, along with access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care.

Separately, Univision reporter Lidia Terrazas reported that Juan Nicolás and his family were deported to Mexico. In an update late Tuesday, she reported the family used their commissary funds to book a hotel and planned to seek medical attention for the baby as soon as possible.

The Dilley facility previously held other families, including a father and his 5-year-old son who were detained after being taken into custody in Minnesota in January and were released on Feb. 1.

The detention center was built in 2014, later stopped being used in 2021 and was closed in 2024, but reopened in 2025. A nonprofit legal services group said there were about 1,400 people held there as of mid-January, including about 500 children.