The mother of Lázara Campos Cabrera, the Cuban doctor detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Houston, pleaded through tears for her daughter to be released so she can care for her seriously ill baby.
“I pray to God that someone opens the doors so that my daughter can be freed. She has a baby who needs her,” the woman said in statements to Telemundo 51, where she recounted that her granddaughter is in critical condition and that the family fears for her life.
The 29-year-old doctor was detained during a routine appointment with ICE in Houston, despite having no criminal record and having complied with all her appointments since 2021.
Lázara arrived in the United States by crossing the border and received an I-220A form, a document that allowed her to reside in the country under supervision.
Her daughter Antonella, just 15 months old, suffers from two rare genetic syndromes that severely impact her health. The little girl depends on a ventilator, has a tracheostomy, and receives feeding through a tube. Although she has the assistance of a nurse at home, her mother is her primary caregiver and the only one trained to provide continuous care.
ICE is aware of the baby's medical situation, but has detained the mother, which has raised concerns and requests from family and close friends who are urging for the case to be reviewed as “a humanitarian issue.”
The family asserts that the physical and emotional stability of the girl directly depends on her mother's presence. Since the arrest, Antonella has shown signs of decompensation, while the grandmother tries to manage the medical care with the help of specialized staff.
"She has a baby who needs her," insisted the grandmother, visibly upset and fearing for her granddaughter's life.
The Cuban family is pleading with the immigration authorities to reconsider the case and release Lázara Campos Cabrera immediately, emphasizing that keeping her detained puts the life of a seriously ill minor at risk.
Filed under:
