Immigration agents detain 10-year-old patient at Driscoll Children's Hospital: 9 things to know

A 10-year-old girl with cerebral palsy was detained Oct. 26 after she crossed an immigration checkpoint to undergo gallbladder surgery at Corpus Christi, Texas-based Driscoll Children's Hospital, according to the NPR.

Here are nine things to know about the case.

1. Rosa Maria Hernandez was detained Oct. 26 and transported to a government-contracted juvenile shelter in San Antonio where she was placed into deportation proceedings, NPR reports.

2. Rosa Maria underwent gallbladder surgery at Driscoll Children's after suffering complications from kidney stones, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reports. She was initially being treated at Driscoll Children's Specialty Center-Laredo (Texas). It was there that clinicians learned she was living in the U.S. without legal permission. Rosa Maria's mother, who also entered the country without legal permission, brought her to the U.S. when she was 3 months old, the Caller-Times reports.

3. A relative of Rosa Maria's mother, who is a U.S. citizen, accompanied the girl past the immigration checkpoint. Federal immigration officials accompanied Rosa Maria and her relative to Corpus Christi so she could receive treatment at Driscoll Children's, Rosamaria's mother told the Caller-Times Oct. 24.

4. The girl's mother told the Caller-Times she received a call from the Consulate General of Mexico alerting her to Rosa Maria’s potential deportation. She also said federal agents were stationed outside Rosa Maria's hospital room at Driscoll Children's prior to her detention.

5. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy discourages officials from engaging in enforcement actions at "sensitive locations," which include hospitals.

6. A lawyer for the family told kristv.com Oct. 25, "We got assurance that [Rosa Maria] will not be deported. We anticipate being able to secure her release to her parents in the near future. … The American Civil Liberties Union is working with us in order to secure the girl's imminent release."

7. Rosa Maria's hospital discharge summary from Driscoll Children's reportedly stated she needed to vist her family's primary care physician in Laredo three days after her operation for a follow up appointment, according to a second report in the Caller-Times. The summary also stated it was in Rosa Maria's best interests to be released to family members "familiar with her medical and psychological needs," the report states.

8. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, tweeted a statement on Rosa Maria's case Oct. 25, stating "a small child who just had surgery is not a threat to Texans' safety or our national security."

9. The family, along with the Workers Defense Action Fund, have started a GoFundMe page to raise money for Rosa Maria's cause. The campaign has raised $25,883 of it's $50,000 goal as of Oct. 30.

Editor's note: This article was updated Oct. 30 at 10:05 a.m. to include additional information.

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