Two-month-old Juan Nicolás deported hours after hospital discharge for bronchitis, left with $190 in Mexico
Feb 18, 2026·Location: Dilley, TX
Country of origin: Mexico

Juan Nicolás, a two-month-old infant, was deported to Mexico on February 8, 2026, hours after being discharged from hospital treatment for bronchitis and respiratory illness. He was detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas, alongside his mother Mireya López Sánchez and 16-month-old sister after his mother was apprehended near Eagle Pass on January 21 while seeking asylum. During detention, Juan Nicolás developed severe breathing problems, vomiting, and gastroesophageal reflux disease; his mother reported he became unresponsive and was "choking on his own vomit" while hospitalized. After hospital discharge, he was immediately deported with only $190 from the family's detention commissary account. With assistance from journalist Lidia Terrazas and advocacy groups, the family secured shelter and medical care, where Juan Nicolás was diagnosed with RSV and severe bronchiolitis. The family later relocated to Guatemala where they have relatives. Rep. Joaquin Castro criticized the deportation as "heinous."
Timeline
Sources
- La mamá de Juan Nicolás espera que su bebé se recupere para irse a Guatemala, tras ser deportados a México
Univision·Feb 18, 2026·archived copy
- Outrage after 2-month-old and mother ‘abandoned’ by ICE after he was hospitalized
independent.co.uk·Feb 18, 2026·archived copy
- Juan Nicolás: Deportation of a two-month-old baby is the latest scandal at Dilley detention center
english.elpais.com·Feb 20, 2026·archived copy
- ICE Deports Sick 2-Month-Old Baby To Mexico After Ignoring Calls For His Release: Dem Lawmaker
HuffPost·Feb 18, 2026·archived copy
- Juan Nicolás Is Two Months Old. This Is What Happened to Him.
the50501movement.org·Feb 18, 2026·archived copy
- glassrealtygrp.com
- 'Monstrous': ICE Deports 2-Month-Old Juan Nicolás Hours After Hospitalization | Common Dreams
commondreams.org·Feb 18, 2026·archived copy
- ICE deporta a Juan Nicolás, un bebé de dos meses con bronquitis | Periódico Zócalo | Noticias de Saltillo, Torreón, Piedras Negras, Monclova, Acuña
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