Congresswoman Luz Rivas Leads Colleagues in Urging Secretary Noem to Reverse Four-Year-Old Girl’s Deportation Decision

LOS ANGELES — Congresswoman Luz Rivas (CA-29) led 35 of her colleagues and California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff in urging Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to reconsider the termination of the legal status of S.G.V. and her family. S.G.V. is a four-year-old girl from Bakersfield living with short bowel syndrome who is facing deportation and could die if she loses medical care at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. S.G.V. and her family’s story was highlighted in a May 27 Los Angeles Times article. 

“We urge you to reconsider the termination of S.G.V. and her family’s legal status as S.G.V.’s doctors say she could die within days without treatment,” the Members wrote to Secretary Noem. “Due to S.G.V.’s short bowel syndrome, she receives intensive medical treatments such as: being tethered to feeding tubes 24 hours a day; spending 14 hours each night being hooked up to an intravenous feeding system; and receiving a different type of nutrition via a gastric tube into her stomach four times a day. In 2023, S.G.V. and her family were allowed to enter the U.S. legally on humanitarian grounds.” 

The Members continued: “Your Department has revoked this child’s legal status in the U.S., which interrupts the urgent, life-saving care she receives at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles every six weeks. We believe this family’s situation clearly meets the need for humanitarian aid and urge you and this Administration to reconsider its decision. It is our duty to protect the sick, vulnerable, and defenseless. Without action, S.G.V. will die. We urge a prompt response from your Department and a swift decision to extend this family’s legal status in the U.S.” 

A full copy of the letter can be found here.

Congresswoman Rivas’ letter is  co-lead with Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove and was signed by California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff and Representatives Nanette Barragán, Julia Brownley, Salud Carbajal, Greg Casar, Joaquin Castro, Judy Chu, Gilbert Cisneros, Maxine Dexter, Adriano Espaillat, Jim Costa, Veronica Escobar, Laura Friedman, Jesús "Chuy" García, Sylvia Garcia, Daniel Goldman, Jimmy Gomez, Pramila Jayapal, Teresa Leger Fernandez, Ted Lieu, Seth Magaziner, Robert Menendez, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Delia Ramirez, Andrea Salinas, Linda Sánchez, Lateefah Simon, Darren Soto, Jill Tokuda, Norma Torres, Derek Tran, Juan Vargas, Gabe Vasquez, Nydia Velázquez, and Eugene Vindman. 

###