Guatemalan mom sues US for $60 million: her baby died after leaving immigrant detention center

Yazmin Juárez and her daughter Mariee were detained at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas this year. The toddler developed a respiratory illness while they were still detained.

In May, the little girl passed away after 6 weeks of being released from the facility. Now her mother is suing the US for millions.

Yazmin Juárez's daughter, Mariee, 19-month-old, died six weeks after they were released from the immigration facility. She has filed a wrongful death claim for $60 million against the US government.

Juárez, 20, and her attorney allege that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and those running the facility provided substandard medical care for the toddler. The little girl had suffered a respiratory infection while in detention.

For more on this story go to our Twitter account @amomama_usa. In a statement, attorney R. Stanton Jones said:

"The US government had a duty to provide this little girl with safe, sanitary living conditions and proper medical care but they failed to do that resulting in tragic consequences.”

"Jones said after it became clear that Mariee was gravely ill, ICE simply discharged mother and daughter. Yazmin immediately sought medical care for her baby, but it was too late."

He added:

"Mariee entered Dilley a healthy baby girl and 20 days later was discharged a gravely ill child with a life-threatening respiratory infection. Mariee died just months before her 2nd birthday because ICE and others charged with her medical care neglected to provide the most basic standard of care as her condition rapidly deteriorated and her mother Yazmin pleaded for help."

In March, Juárez and her daughter were detained by immigration officials. The pair had come from Guatemala and crossed into the US via the Rio Grande.

They were held for three weeks at the Family Residential Center. On March 11, Juárez asked for medical treatment for Mariee, six days after they arrived at the facility.

The toddler started becoming increasingly ill as her mother repeatedly sought health care for her. She was prescribed medication that didn't improve her daughter’s condition.

When they were released Juárez took the little girl to New Jersey to where her mother lives. They sought medical attention the next day and Mariee was hospitalized for respiratory failure for six weeks.

She died at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on May 10.

Jones stated:

"After it became clear that Mariee was gravely ill, ICE simply discharged mother and daughter. Yazmin immediately sought medical care for her baby, but it was too late."

Juárez filed a notice of claim on Tuesday against the city of Eloy, Arizona, which is the primary contractor of the facility.