What many feared has happened: Juan Nicolas, a two-month-old baby who was struggling with severe bronchitis, has been deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as confirmed by Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro.
The news has generated a wave of indignation, not only because of the child’s state of health, but also because of the conditions in which the family was expelled from the country: with only $190 in their pockets and after having spent three weeks in the controversial detention center in Dilley, Texas.
Baby Juan Nicolas deported
After a discussion with their attorney, I have confirmed that Juan, his 16-month-old sister, his mom, and his dad have been deported.
According to their attorney, ICE deported the family with only the money that they had in their commissary-a total of $190.
To unnecessarily…
– Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) February 18, 2026
“After speaking with his lawyer, I confirmed that Juan, his 16-month-old sister, mother and father were deported,” Joaquin Castro wrote on his X account.
“To unnecessarily deport a sick baby and his entire family is painful. My team and I are in contact with Juan’s family. We are fully focused on locating them, holding ICE accountable for this monstrous action, demanding specific details about their whereabouts and well-being, and ensuring their safety,” the congressman added.
Little Juan Nicolas did not know freedom in his last days on U.S. soil.
Since his arrival at Dilley – the only facility currently holding families under the Donald Trump administration – the baby was “constantly sick,” exhibiting vomiting and severe breathing difficulties.
The situation came to a head last Monday, February 16, when the child was rushed to a local hospital.
According to reports by Congressman Joaquin Castro, the baby was rendered “unconscious” before being returned to the detention center, only to receive an immediate deportation order.
Deported with the minimum
🚨BREAKING: The great @LidiaTerrazas has found Juan Nicolás, the two-month-old ICE deported today to Mexico.
Update coming tomorrow at https://t.co/HpQYb2bjiA https://t.co/enYyUH0KzO pic.twitter.com/vP2tqMqvNd
– Pablo Manriquez (@PabloReports) February 18, 2026
The coldness of the procedure has stunned human rights defenders.
The family’s attorney reported that ICE executed the deportation of Juan, his 16-month-old sister, and their parents, giving them only the money they had in their commissary account: a total of $190 to face an uncertain future and an active illness.
“To unnecessarily deport a sick baby and his entire family is appalling,” said Castro, who said his team is focused on tracking the family’s whereabouts to ensure their safety outside U.S. borders.
Dilley: The Return of a Controversial Center
The Dilley detention center, which remained closed for much of Joe Biden’s term, was reopened this 2026 as a key piece of the mass arrest strategy.
It currently houses more than 1,400 people, including some 400 minors.
Reports of internal conditions are alarming:
Lack of medical attention: Cases such as that of Juan Nicolás evidence the delay in hospital transfers.
Unsanitary conditions: Immigration lawyers report bad food and water.
Increase in arrests: According to the Deportation Data Project, child arrests have gone from an average of 25 per month in the previous administration to 170 children per month so far this year.
Juan Nicolas’ life is still at risk, and his case today becomes the symbol of a migration policy that, in the words of his critics, has preferred the “iron fist” over the survival of the most vulnerable.
