A 4-year-old girl from Mexico dealing with a critical, rare disease will be able to stay in the U.S. and continue to receive treatment, according to reports.
According to The Independent, Sofia Vargas’ (a pseudonym) family learned Monday via a letter from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service that they had been granted “Humanitarian Parole for a period of one year.” Previously, the girl’s family was granted humanitarian parole in July 2023, said Public Counsel, a legal group representing the family.
Public Counsel also said USCIS “prematurely terminated the family’s humanitarian parole,” in April, “ordering them to return to Mexico.” Per The Independent’s report, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told the outlet via email that the family's application for humanitarian parole was “still being considered,” last week, before the Monday update.
“Any reporting that Vargas and her family are actively being deported are FALSE,” the official said. “This family applied with USCIS for humanitarian parole on May 14, 2025, and the application is still being considered.”
Vargas suffers from short bowel syndrome (SBS), a disease that makes it difficult for her to absorb nutrients. She requires round-the-clock care for the condition, according to Public Counsel.
“SBS is a relatively rare disease,” explained researchers who authored a 2020 study published in the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. “Because of its multifactorial etiology, the true incidence and prevalence of SBS in the US are unknown.”
Legal representation for Vargas said that Vargas would die within days if she was sent back to Mexico and separated from the care she needs for SBS. A team of specialists is treating her at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, Calif., one of few that treats young children with the condition.
“The odds of Sofia receiving the care she needs in Mexico are next to impossible,” Public Counsel said.
Along with the news in April that they might have to leave the U.S., the Vargas family learned that Sofia’s mother, Deysi Vargas’ work authorization had been terminated, leaving her without a way to make money and pay bills. Deysi is the sole provider for the family. The Independent said an online fundraiser for the girl’s care has raised more than $40,000 since it was started on Monday.
“Sofia is now thriving and has a future full of hope,” Rebecca Brown, staff attorney with Public Counsel’s Immigrants’ Rights Project and attorney for the family. “To suddenly yank away that welcome mat, take away her life-saving medical care, and force her back to a place where she could die within days is a cruel betrayal of our nation’s word and an affront to our shared humanity.”
After learning about the Vargas family’s humanitarian parole being terminated, a group of lawmakers called for it to be reinstated.
“We believe this family’s situation clearly meets the need for humanitarian aid and urge you and this Administration to reconsider its decision,” said the lawmakers. “It is our duty to protect the sick, vulnerable, and defenseless. Without action, S.G.V. will die. We urge a prompt response from your Department and a swift decision to extend this family’s legal status in the U.S.”
Since President Donald Trump took office earlier this year, his administration has worked to crack down on illegal immigration in the U.S. Its efforts have already been met with criticism, including its deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man the administration said it erroneously deported.
In an April press release, Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed to have “delivered the most secure border in American history,” and said that more than 151,000 illegal aliens were arrested and 135,000 deported during the first 100 days of the term. However, the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse estimates that number was closer to 72,000.