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18-month-old hospitalized with respiratory illness at Dilley, medication withheld after discharge

Feb 7, 2026 · El Paso, TX, Venezuela

18-month-old hospitalized with respiratory illness at Dilley, medication withheld after discharge

Amalia Arrieta, an 18-month-old from Venezuela, was detained with her mother Kheilin Valero Marcano following an ICE appointment in El Paso on December 11, 2025, and transferred to Dilley Immigration Processing Center. Over weeks, Amalia developed severe respiratory symptoms including high fevers, persistent cough, and dangerously low blood-oxygen levels (dropping to the 50s). On January 18, 2026, she was hospitalized at Methodist Children's Hospital in San Antonio for 10 days, diagnosed with pneumonia, COVID-19, RSV, and respiratory distress. Upon discharge on January 28, doctors prescribed her a nebulizer, respiratory medications, and nutritional supplements. When ICE returned her to Dilley, detention staff allegedly confiscated her prescribed medications and breathing equipment. Her parents were forced to wait in daily outdoor lines to request treatment, often being denied. After lawyers filed an emergency habeas corpus petition in federal court, the family was released on either January 31 or February 7, 2026.

Timeline

Feb 7, 2026Family released after emergency habeas corpus petition
Feb 6, 2026Habeas corpus petition filed by family's attorneys in federal court
Jan 31, 2026Family released after lawyers filed emergency habeas corpus petition in federal court
Jan 28, 2026Amalia discharged from hospital diagnosed with pneumonia, COVID-19, RSV, and respiratory distress; doctors prescribed nebulizer, respiratory medications, and nutritional supplements
Jan 28, 2026ICE returns Amalia to Dilley; detention staff allegedly confiscate her prescribed medications, nebulizer, and equipment despite doctors' discharge instructions
Jan 18, 2026Amalia rushed to Methodist Children's Hospital in San Antonio with dangerously low blood-oxygen levels and severe respiratory distress
Jan 1, 2026Amalia develops respiratory symptoms including high fever, cough, and breathing difficulty; detention facility medical clinic provides only basic fever medication
Dec 11, 2025Amalia and her mother detained by ICE following appointment in El Paso and transferred to Dilley Immigration Processing Center

Sources

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