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An undocumented father, Juan Mendoza, 25 years old, was arrested by ICE in Texas while taking his seven-month-old daughter to a medical appointment, according to a report from Noticias Telemundo.
The girl's mother, Yazmín, 24 years old and a U.S. citizen, described that the arrest happened suddenly: when she turned around, she saw her partner handcuffed while their two daughters remained in the vehicle.
Mendoza remains detained in Laredo, while the family now faces a more difficult situation to sustain their home and continue the baby's medical treatment.
The young girl is suffering from retinoblastoma in both eyes, a type of cancer that is "very rare but treatable," according to information released by Telemundo.
According to the mother, the girl has had her chemotherapy adjusted and is already receiving laser treatment in one of her eyes.
The family specified that they must take the baby to the doctor in McAllen twice a week, and every three weeks they travel to Houston for her treatment. With the father now in custody, the logistics and expenses become even more complicated.
Testimony from the mother: "I couldn't do anything."
Yazmín reported that the arrest occurred while they were on their way to the medical appointment.
"When I turned around... they already had him handcuffed... and my two girls were in the back," she recounted in the report, describing the helplessness of the moment.
She also defended her partner as a father: "Everyone loves him a lot, he's a good dad," she stated.
Telemundo consulted a lawyer who explained that a detained individual has rights and can attempt to fight their case even while in a detention center.
The lawyer noted that if a person has been in the United States for over 10 years, has citizen or resident children, and does not have any criminal record that would disqualify them, they might "possibly" qualify for something called cancellation of deportation
In response to the economic blow, family and friends of Yazmín are planning to organize a dish sale to raise funds in order to hire a lawyer and continue covering the baby's medical expenses.
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