BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — A mother who legally entered the U.S. in 2023 to secure emergency medical care for her daughter now faces deportation — a move her attorneys say could cost the 4-year-old her life.
- Deysi Vargas and her daughter, identified by the pseudonym Sophia, came to the United States from Mexico after being granted humanitarian parole.
- Sophia suffers from short bowel syndrome, a rare condition that left her hospitalized nearly full-time in Mexico and dependent on intravenous nutrition.
A mother who legally entered the U.S. in 2023 to secure emergency medical care for her daughter now faces deportation — a move her attorneys say could cost the 4-year-old her life.
Deysi Vargas and her daughter, identified by the pseudonym Sophia, came to the United States from Mexico after being granted humanitarian parole. Sophia suffers from short bowel syndrome, a rare condition that left her hospitalized nearly full-time in Mexico and dependent on intravenous nutrition.
“When we lived in Mexico, my daughter did not get any better,” Vargas said.
After arriving in the U.S., the family eventually settled in Bakersfield while traveling to Los Angeles for Sophia's longterm treatments. At home, she began receiving daily life-sustaining treatments — including up to 14 hours of IV therapy through gastric tubes housed in a medical backpack. Vargas said the equipment, unavailable in Mexico, has allowed Sophia to live more like a typical child.
“With the help she has received in the United States, my daughter has an opportunity to get out of the hospital, know the world, and live like a normal girl of four years,” Vargas said.
That progress is now in jeopardy. Vargas recently received notice that her legal status and work visa have been revoked, leaving the family at risk of deportation.
“If they deport us and remove my daughter from her specialized medical care, she will die,” she said.
Attorneys for the family say Sophia’s condition requires treatment only available in the U.S., and her doctors have warned that without it, she could die within days.
“Humanitarian parole is for people like Deysi and Sophia,” said Rebecca Brown, an attorney for the family. “Deysi did everything she was asked to do to save her child’s life.”
Sophia’s medical devices are not approved for use outside the U.S., which would likely mean a return to full hospitalization if deported — or worse, no treatment at all.
“Meeting humanitarian needs isn’t political — it is the right thing to do,” Brown added.
Despite the looming threat, Vargas says her faith remains strong.
“I do believe very strongly in God, and during this time He has done a lot of miracles in my daughter’s life,” she said.
Attorneys said they have submitted a new application for medical asylum and have notified the Trump administration of Sophia’s case. They said they have not received a response on either case.
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