A 6-year-old Honduran boy diagnosed with leukemia has been detained with his mother and 9-year-old sister at an ICE detention center in Dilley, Texas, since May 2025. The case has generated great concern among lawyers and human rights organizations due to the high medical risk the child faces if his treatment is interrupted.
The family entered the United States legally in October 2024 by applying for asylum through the CBP One App under the current policies of the Joe Biden administration. They lived with the maternal grandmother in the Los Angeles area, where the Honduran boy was attending chemotherapy treatments after being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at age 3. He had approximately six months of treatment remaining when he was arrested.
Arrest after hearing
On May 29, 2025, the family of the Honduran child attended a routine immigration hearing at the Immigration Court in Van Nuys, California.
During the hearing, government lawyers asked to dismiss the deportation case, which would have allowed the family to stay in the country legally while their asylum application was being resolved.
Despite the mother’s request to continue with the process, the judge granted the motion.
Immediately after, ICE agents arrested the family in the hallway of the courthouse, for which immigration advocates have strongly criticized them.
They point to apparent coordination between judges and DHS officials to facilitate detentions.
Conditions of concern
During his transfer to Texas, the Honduran boy was held for hours at the ICE processing center.
There he had an episode of anxiety at the sight of an officer’s gun, and was forced to remain in wet clothes for hours.
Since his admission to the South Texas Family Residential Center, the child’s health has deteriorated:
He has lost his appetite, is pale, has bruising and bone pain, symptoms associated with his illness, according to medical records filed with the court.
Dr. Pran Saha, a pediatrician at Columbia University, testified in court that the child needs constant medical care, including chemotherapy and possibly radiation therapy.
ICE defends its actions
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the family “chose to appeal their case” and therefore remains in custody.
He denied that the child is being denied treatment:
La insinuación de que ICE le niega atención médica a un niño es absolutamente falsa
However, lawyers for the family have requested his immediate release.
They allege that the detention of the minor with a critical medical condition is “unlawful, unconstitutional and inhumane.”
For more information, visit QuéOnnda.com.