A deaf 6-year-old boy who was taken by immigration agents from Northern California and deported to Colombia this month needs to be returned to the U.S. immediately, or he could face life-threatening risks, a lawyer representing the child said Wednesday.
Attorney Nikolas De Bremaeker explained that the boy, Joseph Lodano Rodriguez, is “at risk every day that he is not getting his treatments.” Joseph has a cochlear implant that requires routine maintenance and cleaning—care he was receiving in the United States but may not have access to in Colombia.
“Joseph is at immense risk for his life if he does not continue the treatment that he was receiving in the United States,” De Bremaeker said during a virtual news conference hosted by California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, a Democratic candidate for governor. “He is at risk of infection, he is at risk of meningitis, he is at risk of death if he is not given the proper care for his surgical implants.”
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 deported shortly afterward. Rodriguez Gutierrez came to the United States in 2022 seeking asylum from domestic violence and had been living in Hayward, California.
She was instructed prior to the March 3 appointment to bring her two children for a routine check-in to update Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) photos of them. However, shortly after arriving at the meeting, ICE agents “tried to force her to sign a document without explanation and then pushed the family into a vehicle to be put on a flight to a faraway detention facility,” De Bremaeker told The Times earlier.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not respond to questions sent Wednesday after office hours but has consistently stated that Rodriguez Gutierrez is “an illegal alien from Colombia” who “illegally entered the United States in 2022.” According to DHS, she was issued a removal order on November 25, 2024.
Superintendent Thurmond called on the public to pressure Congress and the Trump administration “to return Joseph so he can continue his studies.” During the news conference, Thurmond showed a 40-second clip of Joseph and his family at a Colombian facility for the deaf. In the video, Joseph appeared to struggle communicating with his sibling and mother, while his brother repeatedly tried to give directions in Spanish with little success.
Joseph’s only language is American Sign Language (ASL), Thurmond explained. He was attending the state-funded California School for the Deaf in Fremont.
“Joseph is struggling,” Thurmond said. “He does not have the ability to communicate with anyone, and in many ways, he can barely communicate with his mom. Like Joseph’s mom, Lesly was just beginning to learn American Sign Language.”
Several California lawmakers have weighed in on the situation. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with Democratic congressional members Eric Swalwell, Nanette Barragán, Zoe Lofgren, Kevin Mullin, and Lateefah Simon, have called on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the State Department to investigate the deportation.
The group is also urging these agencies to return the family to the U.S. through humanitarian parole, a process that would allow Joseph to re-enroll in school and receive specialized care.
Celena Ponce, founder of Hands United—a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding deaf immigrant children and families—shared that her group is working to connect Joseph and his family with the deaf community and services such as interpreters in Colombia.
However, Ponce highlighted several challenges the family faces. If Joseph remains in Colombia, he and his mother will need to learn Colombian Sign Language, which differs from American Sign Language. Additionally, Joseph suffers from language deprivation, meaning he is developmentally delayed in language skills compared to other hearing 6-year-olds.
“Because Colombia does not have residential schools similar to what California has, the ability to be fully immersed in language is not present,” she said. Ponce added that the progress Joseph made at the California School for the Deaf would likely be lost if he cannot return.
The family’s future remains uncertain as advocates continue to push for their return to the United States, where Joseph can receive the education and medical care essential to his wellbeing.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-03-18/deported-deaf-boy-6-could-die-in-colombia-without-medical-attention