• An 18-month-old girl named Amalia was returned to ICE custody after hospitalization.
• She was denied prescribed medication despite a life-threatening respiratory illness.
• The family is seeking asylum in the U.S. after being detained since December.
• Medical experts warn of serious risks associated with her detention without proper care.

Amalia, an 18-month-old girl detained by U.S. immigration authorities, was returned to custody without necessary medication after a life-threatening illness, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court in Texas. The girl was hospitalized for ten days with serious respiratory issues and returned to the Dilley processing center, which is facing criticism for inadequate care, amidst a measles outbreak as highlighted by her attorney, Elora Mukherjee. "Baby Amalia should never have been detained. She nearly died at Dilley," Mukherjee said, pointing out the systemic issues many detained children face in this facility, including a lack of basic necessities such as safe drinking water and medical care, according to Reuters and Channel News Asia.

The family was apprehended during a routine check-in with immigration authorities on December 11, and they had been held at the Dilley facility amid conditions that many advocates describe as harsh. Following Amalia's hospitalization, where she was diagnosed with COVID-19, pneumonia, and multiple respiratory conditions, a federal judge ruled in favor of her release alongside her parents, who also sought asylum. The suit emphasized that returning Amalia under such conditions was dangerous, given her precarious health status, according to Anadolu Agency and India Times.

After her release, concerns remain regarding the long-term effects of Amalia's traumatic experience. Lawyers involved in her case have reported that she lost approximately 10% of her body weight during her hospitalization and was prescribed critical medications that detention officials confiscated upon her return. Medical affidavits outlined that the continued detention of a medically fragile child like Amalia without guaranteed access to required treatments poses “a high risk for medical decompensation and death,” illustrating the dangers of the detention system, as per sources including Channel News Asia and Anadolu Agency.