DILLEY, Texas – A 2-month-old and his family, who were held at an immigration detention center in Dilley, have been deported to Mexico, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said Tuesday night.
The infant, who Castro identified as Juan Nicolás, was deported along with his mother, father and 16-month-old sister.
According to Castro, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “deported the family with only the money that they had in their commissary — a total of $190."
The congressman also said he is focused on finding the family and “ensuring their safety.”
“To unnecessarily deport a sick baby and his entire family is heinous,” Castro said, in part, in a Tuesday night social media post.
Nicolás was taken to the hospital Monday night after falling ill with bronchitis, according to the Frio County Sheriff’s Office.
Castro (D-San Antonio) spoke out about Nicolás’ medical care at the South Texas Family Residential Center in a social video posted earlier Monday.
According to Castro, Nicolás was being held at the facility with his mother for more than three weeks. He said Nicolás needed treatment for respiratory issues.
The child’s mother told Castro her son has bronchitis and was unresponsive at some point in the past several hours.
Despite the medical condition, Castro said Nicolás was released from a hospital around midnight Tuesday.
“He has been sick, and they don’t have the medical capacity to treat him,” Castro said in the video Monday. “His life is in danger.”
>> Protesters call for release of children detained at detention centers
Castro also said that at one point, no doctor was available during the early morning hours when the baby needed medical attention.
The Frio County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to KSAT that the baby was transported to a hospital by facility staff at 10 p.m. Monday.
KSAT 12 News reached out to ICE for more details about the infant’s condition. In a Tuesday evening statement, the agency said Nicolás was transported to a Pearsall hospital for a “precautionary evaluation,” but he was not admitted. ICE also said Nicolás continues to receive “proper care” in Dilley.
KSAT also reached back out to ICE to confirm if Nicolás and his family were deported to Mexico as Castro alleged.
The facility has been in the national spotlight recently following the detention of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias.
The father and son were taken into custody in Minnesota last month during the Trump Administration’s immigration crackdown.
A report filed in December by ICE in an ongoing federal lawsuit shows that hundreds of children have been held at the facility beyond the court-mandated limit, according to the Associated Press.
At least one lawsuit alleging inhumane conditions at the facility has been filed. At least two measles cases were confirmed there by the Department of Homeland Security.
KSAT has also reached out to U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R). As the congressman representing Texas’ 23rd congressional district, Gonzales represents a stretch of the state that includes Dilley, portions of San Antonio and El Paso.