A Honduran mother and her two U.S.-born children, including a 4-year-old boy undergoing kidney cancer treatment, were recently deported from Louisiana. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Morales-Valle entered the U.S. illegally in 2013 and was given a final order of deportation in 2015. In April 2025, after being taken into ICE custody, both of her American-born children were deported with her to Honduras, despite presenting valid U.S. passports for each child.
This case has raised significant concerns about the treatment of U.S. citizen children in immigration enforcement actions. Advocacy groups argue that such deportations, especially involving children with serious medical conditions, may violate constitutional rights and due process. Senator Bill Cassidy acknowledged the situation, noting that one of the children, a 4-year-old boy battling cancer, might need to return to the U.S. for treatment, as Medicaid and Medicare typically do not cover services abroad.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maintains that U.S. citizen children are not deported and that any accompanying of deported parents by their children is voluntary.
