A four-year-old girl from Bakersfield, known by the initials S.G.V., has been granted humanitarian protection from deportation, allowing her to continue receiving critical medical treatment in the United States.
This decision comes after widespread public outrage and advocacy from dozens of lawmakers, all highlighting the urgency of S.G.V.’s situation.
S.G.V. and her parents, who emigrated from Mexico, originally entered the U.S. through Tijuana in 2023 with temporary legal permissions.
However, the Trump administration’s actions rescinded these protections, placing the family at risk of deportation.
Her physician at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles emphasized the life-threatening implications of losing her medical care, as S.G.V. suffers from short bowel syndrome—a condition that severely hinders her ability to absorb essential nutrients from food.
On May 28, following significant media coverage of her case, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reached out to attorneys representing the family to discuss the processing of her humanitarian parole application.
Deysi Vargas, S.G.V.’s mother, alongside her daughter, attended a biometrics appointment in Bakersfield on the following Friday.
Rebecca Brown, an attorney from the nonprofit Public Counsel, stated, “By moving quickly, the agency has ensured that a four‑year‑old girl can continue receiving the specialized medical treatment that keeps her alive.”
She acknowledged that many families still face peril under policies aimed at eliminating humanitarian parole and urged the government to ensure protection for all families at risk.
Last week, a group of 38 congressional Democrats, including Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff from California, condemned the termination of the family’s legal status.
They appealed to the Department of Homeland Security, requesting an urgent extension of the family’s status, asserting, “Without action, S.G.V. will die.”
The lawmakers characterized the family’s circumstances as deserving urgent humanitarian aid in their correspondence dated May 29 to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
On Monday, an announcement was made to the family by Carmen Paniagua, acting field office director of Citizenship and Immigration Services, confirming that they had been granted Humanitarian Parole for a year, effective June 2, 2025.
Earlier, in April, Vargas had received a termination notice regarding their humanitarian protections and work authorization, which instructed them to leave the U.S. voluntarily or face federal actions.
An online fundraiser aimed at covering S.G.V.’s medical expenses has already raised over $40,000 as of Tuesday, reflecting the community’s support.
The Trump administration had previously rescinded humanitarian protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants participating in various programs established during the Biden administration, often leaving families in dire circumstances.
Brown pointed out that once the family’s parole was revoked, there was no systematic way to alert immigration officials about the life-threatening nature of a child’s medical condition.
“It took an international outcry and pressure from elected officials to get a response — something that used to take a single phone call,” Brown remarked in a statement.
She, along with Public Counsel’s directing attorney Gina Amato Lough, called for improved communication channels to ensure prompt consideration for all families at risk of imminent harm.
Lawmakers, including Padilla and Rep. Luz Rivas from North Hollywood, expressed relief that Citizenship and Immigration Services granted the family another year of parole.
However, Rivas emphasized that S.G.V. should never have been placed in such a precarious life-or-death situation in the first place.
“This situation is a prime example of the Trump administration being unfit, unprepared and unqualified to handle immigration policy decisions with empathy and compassion,” Rivas concluded.
image source from：https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-06-03/bakersfield-girl-who-faced-deportation-loss-of-lifesaving-medical-care-granted-humanitarian-parole
