{"id":167872,"date":"2026-02-17T07:24:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T07:24:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/167872\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T07:24:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T07:24:17","slug":"two-month-old-baby-choking-on-his-own-vomit-while-detained-in-dilley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/167872\/","title":{"rendered":"Two-month-old baby ‘choking on his own vomit’ while detained in Dilley"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Two-month-old Juan Nicolas is sick, and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro says the detention center the baby and family don\u2019t have the medical capacity to treat him. Credit: Instagram \/ Joaquin Castro<\/p>\n

A 2-month-old baby detained at Dilley\u2019s South Texas Family Residential Center has fallen ill and has been described as \u201cchoking on his own vomit,\u201d according to Univision reporter Lidia Terrazas<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The child had a medical episode at approximately 3 a.m. Saturday, Terrazas reported in an Instagram video after speaking with the infant\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis life is in danger,\u201d U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said in a live video shared to Instagram Monday afternoon about the child, named Juan Nicol\u00e1s.<\/p>\n

In addition to vomiting, Castro said the baby was \u201chaving respiratory issues.\u201d <\/p>\n

Nicol\u00e1s has been detained at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility about an hour southwest of San Antonio for more than three weeks, or approximately half of his young life, according to Castro.<\/p>\n

The congressman first learned of the youngest detainee at Dilley when visiting the facility on Jan. 28. At the time, he said the baby had been in the facility for four or five days.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn infant\u2019s immune system doesn\u2019t mature until they\u2019re about two to three months old,\u201d pediatrician Dr. Camille Sabella told the Cleveland Clinic in a report<\/a> about the development of immune systems in newborn babies.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis baby in particular is very vulnerable,\u201d Castro added in his live video.<\/p>\n

The baby, already vulnerable to the many germs that may circulate in confined carceral setting, is made even more vulnerable thanks to a lack of on-site medical care, Castro says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey couldn\u2019t take him to a doctor, because there weren\u2019t any doctors in the early morning hours at Dilley,\u201d Castro said in the clip, adding that when he toured the medical wing on his visit, no staff were present inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are on notice that this baby is sick and they don\u2019t have the medical capacity to care for him,\u201d Castro said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been pressing ICE hard to let Juan Nicol\u00e1s go free,\u201d Castro added.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Two-month-old\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\u2018His life is in danger,\u2019 U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said about newborn Juan Nicol\u00e1s. The child fell ill after spending almost a month \u2014 or half his life \u2014 in a San Antonio-area family detention facility.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Illness\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe number of people held at the notorious Dilley immigration jail has nearly tripled since October.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Attorney\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe family of 5 has been detained in the immigrant detention facility near San Antonio for 8 months, and each of the kids has had a birthday inside.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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