HUMSI — Human Security Initiative

Human Impact Project

A living database documenting reported immigration enforcement incidents and their human impact.

Gustavo S.: 13-year-old detained by Border Patrol, denied care for fever at Dilley

Gustavo, 13, from Tamaulipas, has been held with his mother since October 2025. He suffered fevers, a skin rash and stomach pain in detention and says he doesn't know why he was detained.

Oct 5, 2025San Antonio, TXCountry of origin: Mexico

Gustavo S.: 13-year-old detained by Border Patrol, denied care for fever at Dilley
Photo via The Atlantic

Gustavo Santiago, a 13-year-old from Tamaulipas, Mexico, living in San Antonio, Texas, was detained with his mother on October 5, 2025, at a Border Patrol checkpoint. He has been sick multiple times in detention. When he had a fever, medical staff told his mother he was old enough to fight it off without medication. He was treated for a skin rash believed caused by poor water quality and suffered stomach pain and nausea attributed to unsanitary food preparation. He expressed fear of deportation and uncertainty about what he did wrong to be detained.

Suggest a correction, comment, or update

Tags

Sources

Similar Incidents

Loading…

More incidents in Texas