BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A 4-year-old Bakersfield girl with a life-threatening medical condition is facing deportation that her doctors say could lead to her death within days if her medical treatment is interrupted.
Sofia* Vargas and her parents, who live in Bakersfield, regularly travel to Children's Hospital Los Angeles for her critical medical treatment.
In April, the Department of Homeland Security notified the family that their humanitarian parole was being terminated and instructed them to return to Mexico immediately. Sofia's mother, Deisy Vargas, also recived this letter:
stating her work permit in the U.S. was revoked, and warning, "It is in your best interest to avoid deportation and leave the United States of your own accord."
On Thursday, a group of 38 Congressional Democrats sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security urging reconsideration of the termination of the family's legal status.
According to Sofia's doctors, any interruption in her daily nutrition system could be fatal in a matter of days.
The Vargas family has applied again for humanitarian protections this month.
Gina Amato Lough and Rebecca Brown, attorneys at Public Counsel representing the Vargas family, issued the following statement:
"The federal government has stripped Sofia and her family of their humanitarian parole and work permits—revoking their legal protections and ordering them to leave the country immediately. No matter how officials try to frame it, the message is clear: leave now, or 'we will find you'—as was stated in the letter they received from DHS."
"Our goal is to prevent Sofia from being deported and dying. Now that the government has revoked Sofia and her parents' lawful status, they're at risk of being apprehended by ICE any day under this administration. Managing Sofia's medical needs is a very complex process, so if she and her mother were even detained by ICE, it would put Sofia's health at risk," Lough and Brown said.
23ABC reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment, but have not yet received a response.
*We are referring to 4-year-old Vargas as Sofia in this story to help keep her identity safe.
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