CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The likely deportation of a 10-year-old girl who suffers from cerebral palsy needing emergency surgery at a children’s hospital sparked controversy in South Texas.

Earlier this week, Rosa Maria Hernandez, 10, previously residing in Laredo, Texas, rode in an ambulance with a relative through the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint in Freer, Texas. The girl was being rushed to Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi for gallbladder surgery. 

At the checkpoint, authorities determined that the young girl was in the country illegally but allowed the vehicle to continue to Corpus Christi accompanied by agents, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection statement revealed. 

Despite being allowed to cross the checkpoint for “humanitarian reasons”, the girl’s mother, Felipa de la Cruz, who is also in the country illegally, called out CBP for accompanying her daughter to the hospital. The woman called the measure an abuse since “her daughter is not a criminal.” 

“I don’t understand it’s not like if my daughter is a criminal that would need to be under guard,” De la Cruz said in Spanish. “It’s not fair, she is still young.

De la Cruz confirmed to Breitbart Texas that her daughter began living illegally in Laredo when she turned three-months-old and requires constant treatment and therapy. 

After the surgery and discharge was complete, federal authorities took the 10-year-old girl to a detention center in San Antonio, where she will receive special care while her immigration case is processed.

In response, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D) weighed in on the issue:

I have requested information from U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the status of 10-year-old Rosamaria Hernandez. I have asked CBP to immediately notify me if the child, who is recovering from gallbladder surgery, has been detained if she can be released to her parents, whether she is a DACA recipient and, if detained, will she receive the proper medical care while in detention. I am continuing to look into this matter and will work to make sure her safety comes first. I understand that CBP has a tremendous duty to protect our nation but we should be devoting our resources and focus on bigger threats.

Tony Aranda is a contributing writer for Breitbart Texas.