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An 18-month-old girl who spent nearly two months in an immigration detention center in Texas became so “gravely ill” while inside that she was hospitalized for 10 days with life-threatening respiratory illnesses, according to a federal lawsuit.
After the toddler was released from the hospital, she was forced to return to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody inside the sprawling detention center, where staff confiscated her prescribed medication, according to a lawsuit seen by The Independent.
Amalia and her parents, Kheilin Valero Marcano and Stiven Arrieta Prieto, were released from ICE custody hours after a lawsuit seeking their release was filed last week, but her case has amplified concerns about conditions inside the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, a remote facility holding a growing number of immigrant families and the site of a recent measles outbreak.
The Venezuelan family arrived in the United States with legal permission in 2024 after fleeing Nicolas Maduro’s regime.
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