Teen dies one day after reuniting with parents detained in Arizona
Paula Soria , Nadia Cantú La Voz
On Sunday, May 10, while millions of Mexicans were celebrating Mother’s Day, 18-year-old Kevin González died of colon cancer, just one day after reuniting with his parents in Durango, Mexico.
His parents, Isidoro González and Norma Anabel Ramírez, had arrived after being detained in Arizona for entering the United States without documents.
Kevin had been diagnosed in January with stage 4 metastatic colon cancer. He had been living in Chicago with his brother Jovany after his parents were deported to Mexico. The severity of his illness and the specialized treatment he required made it impossible for him to travel to see them.
After doctors informed the family that Kevin was no longer responding to treatment, his parents applied for humanitarian permits to enter the United States, according to his grandmother, Virginia Amaya, who spoke to Telemundo Chicago, the first outlet to report the story. The requests were denied.
As Kevin’s condition rapidly worsened, González Avilés, 48, and Ramírez Amaya, 43, attempted to cross the border without authorization in a final effort to reach their son.
They were detained by immigration authorities on April 14 near Douglas, Arizona, and transferred to a detention center. According to Fernando Sánchez, Mexico’s consul in Tucson, González Avilés had previously been deported in 2011 and did not have legal permission to reenter the United States.
During a court hearing in Tucson, González Avilés, visibly emotional, asked a federal judge to allow his return to Mexico so he could see his son.
Arizona Rep. Adelita Grijalva urged federal authorities to release the couple, calling the case one of “basic human decency.” After 45 days in custody, a federal judge authorized their expedited deportation to Hermosillo, Sonora, on May 7.
“This breaks my heart. I am asking ICE to act so Kevin can see his parents one last time. This is not about politics—it is about human decency,” Grijalva wrote on X.
The judge, noting his own role as a parent, approved their urgent return.
By the time the process was completed, Kevin’s condition had sharply deteriorated. He was no longer able to eat or drink water and could barely speak. Family members told Mexican media they feared the worst, saying Kevin refused to sleep out of fear he would not wake up in time to see his parents.
Mexican officials coordinated the reunion, and Isidoro and Norma traveled 16 hours by road from Hermosillo to Durango.
The family was finally reunited on the afternoon of May 9. Kevin was able to fulfill his final wish: to be surrounded by his parents and loved ones to say goodbye.
He died the following day.
borderslynn 
You must be logged in to post a comment.