Bakersfield, California - The Trump administration has reinstated the temporary legal status it canceled of an family whose four-year-old daughter's life depends on urgent medical care she receives in the US.
A demonstrator holds a sign reading "Keep Families Together" in an immigrants' rights protest in downtown Los Angeles, California. © Frederic J. BROWN / AFP
Deysi Vargas and her husband arrived in the US from Mexico in 2023 seeking medical care for their four-year-old daughter – referred to by the pseudonym Sofia ("S.G.V.") – for a rare condition.
The family had humanitarian parole allowing them to seek life-saving treatment for their child in California.
In April, the Trump administration abruptly canceled their temporary legal status and told them to "self-deport" – even though Sofia's doctors said she would likely die "within days" if her treatment were cut off.
The Bakersfield family's case sparked widespread attention amid alarms over the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign.
"Due to S.G.V.’s short bowel syndrome, she receives intensive medical treatments such as: being tethered to feeding tubes 24 hours a day; spending 14 hours each night being hooked up to an intravenous feeding system; and receiving a different type of nutrition via a gastric tube into her stomach four times a day," reads a signed by 38 members of Congress last week.
"We believe this family’s situation clearly meets the need for humanitarian aid and urge you and this Administration to reconsider its decision," the lawmakers wrote. "It is our duty to protect the sick, vulnerable, and defenseless. Without action, S.G.V. will die."
According to the , the family has now received a notice from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) acting field office director Carmen Paniagua that "effective June 2, 2025, you have been granted Humanitarian Parole for a period of one year."
Protesters raise a sign reading "Hate Never Made America Great" in front of Los Angeles City Hall. © Frederic J. BROWN / AFP
The Vargas family's legal team shared a powerful statement on social media after the decision was announced.
"We are grateful that USCIS acted swiftly to grant Sofia and her mother one year of humanitarian parole," read a message shared by Public Counsel.
"While we celebrate this victory, we cannot ignore the systemic challenges that brought Sofia to the brink," the attorneys continued. "Her parole was terminated without warning, and for weeks there was no functional avenue to alert USCIS that a child's life was in danger."
"Sofia's story is one of many – but life-or-death decisions like hers aren't always visible. Many families who seek refuge in the United States are fleeing threats you can't see and, while their wounds may be invisible, the danger they face is every bit as real."
"Our immigration system must protect everyone facing life-threatening harm. We cannot let this country turn its back on our immigrant neighbors seeking safety, justice, and a fair chance at life."
"Saving Sofia was never just about one child; it's about what kind of nation we choose to be."
