2/23/2026 | USA | general | ✓ Verified - nbcnews.com

After a year in Mexico, recovery has stalled for U.S. citizen girl with rare brain tumor, deported mother says

#brain tumor #deportation #humanitarian parole #healthcare access #U.S. citizen children #immigration checkpoint #medical treatment #family separation

📌 Key Takeaways

U.S. citizen girl's brain tumor treatment interrupted after parents' deportation
Girl's brain not regenerating, increasing tumor recurrence risk
Family waiting on humanitarian parole request filed June 2025
Limited healthcare access in Mexico worsens medical condition

📖 Full Retelling

An 11-year-old U.S. citizen girl's treatment for a rare brain tumor has been stalled for nearly a year after her undocumented parents were deported to Mexico, where the family now lives in a dangerous area while fighting to return for necessary medical care, according to an exclusive interview with NBC News and the family's attorneys at the Texas Civil Rights Project. The girl, who experienced headaches and body pain since being sent to Mexico, has had only one MRI scan in the past year despite doctors recommending scans every three months to monitor her condition. U.S. physicians reviewing her last scan from May found her brain isn't regenerating, significantly increasing the risk of tumor recurrence as she continues to experience seizures and worsening symptoms. The family filed a humanitarian parole request in June 2025 that could allow the parents and one noncitizen sibling to enter the U.S. temporarily to assist the girl during treatment, but they are still awaiting a decision from immigration authorities. In Mexico, the family faces limited healthcare options as U.S. citizens cannot access Mexico's public health system and must pay out-of-pocket for private care, which they cannot afford, as demonstrated when the mother had to drive 2½ hours to get her daughter to a hospital during a seizure episode.

🏷️ Themes

Immigration, Healthcare Access, Family Separation, Medical Emergency

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Deep Analysis

Why It Matters

The case highlights how deportation can disrupt life‑saving medical care for U.S. citizen children. It underscores the legal and humanitarian gaps in immigration policy that leave vulnerable families stranded abroad.

Context & Background

U.S. citizen child with rare brain tumor
Parents deported to Mexico
Family living in dangerous area
Humanitarian parole pending
Limited medical access in Mexico

What Happens Next

The family awaits a decision on their humanitarian parole request, which could allow them to return to the U.S. for continued treatment. If denied, they may face prolonged separation and ongoing health risks for the child. Legal appeals may be pursued if the parole is denied.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is humanitarian parole?

It is a temporary permission for non‑citizens to enter the U.S. for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.

Why were the parents deported?

They were detained at a mandatory immigration checkpoint and had previously received expedited removal orders.

Can the child receive medical care in Mexico?

U.S. citizen minors cannot access Mexico’s public health system and must pay out of pocket for private care, which is often unaffordable.

Original Source

              EXCLUSIVE Immigration After a year in Mexico, recovery has stalled for U.S. citizen girl with rare brain tumor, deported mother says NBC News has followed the family’s yearlong struggle to return to the U.S. as the mother worries the tumor could come back. An 11-year-old girl recovering from a brain tumor, who is a U.S. citizen, tells NBC News she has been experiencing headaches and body pain since she was sent to Mexico when her parents were deported a year ago. Courtesy Texas Civil Rights Project Share Add NBC News to Google Feb. 23, 2026, 9:15 AM EST By Nicole Acevedo Listen to this article with a free account 00:00 00:00 Nearly a year ago , an 11-year-old U.S. citizen girl’s treatment for a rare brain tumor was interrupted when her parents were deported to Mexico . Her parents and her four siblings, three of whom are also U.S. citizens, have spent the past year living in a dangerous part of Mexico and have seen her recovery stall as they fight to get her access to care. “It’s been a really difficult year,” the girl’s mother told NBC News in Spanish this month as she choked up. “It’s hard not to break down.” The family’s quest to return to the United States is now reaching a critical point, the mother said. In Mexico, without continuous access to the medical care the girl needs, the brain tumor that once threatened her life could redevelop. NBC News is withholding the name of the mother and the rest of the family members, since they were deported to an area in Mexico known for kidnapping U.S. citizens. When U.S. doctors reviewed the results of the girl’s last MRI scan from May , they found her brain isn’t regenerating, an important part of recovery that helps restore lost neurological functions such as motor skills and speech. That means “there is a high risk that the tumor can come back,” the mother said, explaining her conversation with the physicians. It also makes it more urgent for her daughter to be back in the U.S., so her doctors can keep her under close ...
            

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Source

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