Deported Deaf 6-Year-Old Faces Life-Threatening Health Risks in Colombia
A 6-year-old deaf boy, Joseph Lodano Rodriguez, deported from Northern California to Colombia earlier this month, is at severe risk due to the lack of specialized medical care for his cochlear implant, according to his attorney. Without consistent maintenance and treatment, the boy faces potential life-threatening complications.
Urgent Need for Medical Care
Attorney Nikolas De Bremaeker warned that Joseph is “at risk every day that he is not getting his treatments.” The child’s cochlear implant requires regular cleaning and maintenance, services readily available in the United States but potentially inaccessible in Colombia. De Bremaeker stated Joseph is at risk of infection, meningitis, and even death if he doesn’t receive proper care for his surgical implant .
Family Deported While Seeking Asylum
Joseph, his 28-year-old mother, Lesly Rodriguez Gutierrez, and his 5-year-old brother were detained by federal agents on March 3 while attending an immigration meeting and subsequently deported. Rodriguez Gutierrez had traveled to the United States in 2022 seeking asylum from domestic violence and was living in Hayward, California .
Deceptive Tactics by ICE
Prior to the deportation, Rodriguez Gutierrez was told to bring her children to a routine check-in to update photos held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Upon arrival, De Bremaeker alleges that ICE agents attempted to force her to sign an unspecified document before forcibly placing the family on a flight to a detention facility .
DHS Response and Removal Order
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has maintained that Rodriguez Gutierrez “illegally entered the United States in 2022” and was subject to a removal order issued on November 25, 2024 .
Calls for Humanitarian Parole and Investigation
California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, hosted a virtual news conference calling for Joseph’s return to the U.S. Thurmond highlighted the challenges Joseph faces communicating in Colombia, as his primary language is American Sign Language, and his mother is still learning it. He urged public pressure on Congress and the Biden administration to facilitate Joseph’s return to continue his education.
California Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with Representatives Eric Swalwell, Nanette Barragán, Zoe Lofgren, Kevin Mullin and Lateefah Simon, have too called on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the State Department to investigate the deportation and return the family through humanitarian parole .
Challenges in Colombia for Deaf Community
Celena Ponce, founder of Hands United, a nonprofit aiding deaf immigrant children, is working to connect the family with resources in Colombia. However, she notes significant hurdles, including the need to learn Colombian Sign Language, which differs from American Sign Language, and the lack of residential schools for the deaf comparable to those in California. This lack of immersive language environments could hinder Joseph’s progress .