The child's family was reportedly on its way to an emergency medical checkup in Houston when border officials stopped them.

Key points

  • Social media users claimed a 10-year-old girl recovering from brain cancer was deported to Mexico. The claim originated from an NBC News story about the girl and her family, who were removed to Mexico in February because of her parents’ immigration status. Details about the girl’s name and identity are not available due to safety concerns, which means it was not possible to independently verify her identity.

  • An attorney at the Texas Civil Rights Project, which is representing the family, said that story was largely accurate, although the girl is recovering from surgery to remove a brain tumor, not brain cancer specifically.

  • It is unclear whether policy changes under U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration led to the girl’s removal from the United States. However, the family told NBC News they previously had no trouble with passing the same immigration checkpoint they were detained at.