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Pregnant woman deported at 8 months, concealed from congressional inspection

Feb 23, 2026 · Dilley, TX, Guatemala

Pregnant woman deported at 8 months, concealed from congressional inspection

Juana Felipe Mateo, a Guatemalan mother of two, was deported from the South Texas Family Residential Center (Dilley) while 8 months pregnant with a third child after three months in detention. She alleges ICE and DHS deceived her into signing voluntary departure papers by offering $15,000 (which she says she never received) and obtaining a doctor's authorization to fly despite her advanced pregnancy. Juana reported that pregnant detainees, including herself, were hidden from U.S. Congressman Joaquín Castro during a facility inspection to prevent them from reporting lack of medical care and alleged mistreatment. She also described being placed in a cold room known as 'la hielera' for five days when her 2-year-old daughter developed fever. She learned of her unborn son's sex only on the day of her deportation.

Timeline

Feb 22, 2026Juana deported from Dilley while 36 weeks pregnant with two small children; Juan Nicolás discharged and deported to Mexico with parents and sister after bronchitis hospitalization
Feb 22, 2026Juan Nicolás family reached Guatemala with assistance from Univision reporter and reunited with relatives
Feb 18, 2026Two-month-old Juan Nicolás developed bronchitis while detained at Dilley; hospitalized for respiratory distress
Feb 18, 2026Staff at Dilley began raids on dormitories to confiscate and destroy letters and drawings from detained children
Feb 9, 2026ProPublica published article featuring children's accounts of detention conditions at Dilley facility

Sources

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