Federal Judge Authorizes Expedited Deportation of Parents of Terminally Ill Teen

A federal judge in Arizona authorized the expedited deportation of the parents of an 18-year-old with terminal cancer in Mexico after a hearing on May 7, 2026. Isidoro González Avilés, 48, and Norma Anabel Ramírez Amaya, 43, had been taken into immigration custody on April 14 near Douglas, Arizona, following their attempt to cross the border.

Kevin González, who was born in Chicago, was diagnosed with metastatic Stage 4 colon cancer in January.

After doctors in Chicago determined he stopped responding to treatment, the family sought to reunite in Mexico where Kevin is under the care of his grandmother, Virginia Amaya. The parents, who had been deported from the U.S. several years earlier, filed humanitarian requests that were denied.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security stated that the parents applied for B1/B2 visitor visas, which were denied due to their previous unlawful presence and entries into the United States. Kevin left Chicago and flew to Mexico after his parents' detention. His health has since deteriorated to the point where he cannot fly, cannot eat or drink water, and can barely speak.

Doctors in Chicago wrote letters recommending compassionate release of the parents so Kevin could receive comfort care with his family in Mexico. >"Sadly, Kevin is not expected to survive long," the letter reads. — Doctors via Telemundo Chicago (@NBCNews) During the court hearing in Tucson, Arizona, on May 7, González Avilés asked the judge to send him to Mexico to be with his son.

The judge authorized expedited deportation after the hearing. Both parents are expected to be removed to Mexico through the Nogales Port of Entry later on May 7. A spokesperson for the Consulate General of Mexico in Chicago stated that consulate officials in Tucson remained in close contact with the parents and their attorney during the hearing and are coordinating with ICE authorities on their expedite repatriation.