In summary, the family lives in Mexico in Rio Grande but their child’s specialist doctor is in the U.S. in Texas. The family has historically, regularly crossed the border to seek treatment for the youngest daughter’s cancer and have always had medical documentation of the condition and medical need for the treatments. But since the parents are not citizens and do not have legal immigration status, they were deported along with the children when trying to cross the most recent time in February for emergency cancer checkup/treatment. It also seems like the other 3 children are also U.S. citizens.
That said, this is cruel. Legal immigration status has always been difficult to get for any reason other than day labor (in some places along the border), tourism, and gainful employment or education. Medical treatment, even for a child, doesn’t really fit into any of those and to my understanding, a medical visa is only given for people seeking treatment from the National Institute of Health (NIH) in cases where treatment is medically necessary and unavailable in the applicants’ home country. This is a situation where it really seems like this family found the best treatment for their daughter just across the border, seemingly afforded such treatment, and just moved back and forth for treatment and checkups. This should be allowable. If not for compassion to the family; but also for the simple fact that this family is buying American healthcare without taking more resources by staying in the U.S.
Edit:
It seems like the family was living in TX. As Rio Grande is a city in TX on the border. Apologies, I thought Rio was a town on the MX side of the border. So the parents were living as undocumented aliens getting treatment for their daughter’s cancer. They seemingly crossed an internal immigration checkpoint.
Nonetheless, my argument is still that this is cruel and entirely unnecessary. But as many of you have said, the cruelty is the point.
There was a girl I met in Mexico. She was the daughter of undocumented immigrants to the US. Her parents immigrated when they were young, and grew up in the US. But for whatever godawful reason, they went back to Mexico to give birth to her. And then she spent her whole life growing up in the US.
And then she was deported. And she didn't speak shit for Spanish. And she was the only member of her family. Her siblings were born in the US, and her parents were the parents of US citizens.
RandyFunRuiner on March 13rd, 2025 at 14:07 UTC »
In summary, the family lives in Mexico in Rio Grande but their child’s specialist doctor is in the U.S. in Texas. The family has historically, regularly crossed the border to seek treatment for the youngest daughter’s cancer and have always had medical documentation of the condition and medical need for the treatments. But since the parents are not citizens and do not have legal immigration status, they were deported along with the children when trying to cross the most recent time in February for emergency cancer checkup/treatment. It also seems like the other 3 children are also U.S. citizens.
That said, this is cruel. Legal immigration status has always been difficult to get for any reason other than day labor (in some places along the border), tourism, and gainful employment or education. Medical treatment, even for a child, doesn’t really fit into any of those and to my understanding, a medical visa is only given for people seeking treatment from the National Institute of Health (NIH) in cases where treatment is medically necessary and unavailable in the applicants’ home country. This is a situation where it really seems like this family found the best treatment for their daughter just across the border, seemingly afforded such treatment, and just moved back and forth for treatment and checkups. This should be allowable. If not for compassion to the family; but also for the simple fact that this family is buying American healthcare without taking more resources by staying in the U.S.
Edit:
It seems like the family was living in TX. As Rio Grande is a city in TX on the border. Apologies, I thought Rio was a town on the MX side of the border. So the parents were living as undocumented aliens getting treatment for their daughter’s cancer. They seemingly crossed an internal immigration checkpoint.
Nonetheless, my argument is still that this is cruel and entirely unnecessary. But as many of you have said, the cruelty is the point.
Mackntish on March 13rd, 2025 at 15:22 UTC »
There was a girl I met in Mexico. She was the daughter of undocumented immigrants to the US. Her parents immigrated when they were young, and grew up in the US. But for whatever godawful reason, they went back to Mexico to give birth to her. And then she spent her whole life growing up in the US.
And then she was deported. And she didn't speak shit for Spanish. And she was the only member of her family. Her siblings were born in the US, and her parents were the parents of US citizens.
Hot-Combination9130 on March 13rd, 2025 at 15:44 UTC »
Any additional context?