This gravely ill girl has been ordered to leave the US by the White House – but doctors say she could die within days
In a lawyer’s office in downtown Los Angeles, a little girl sits at a desk made for adults – tiny trainers dangling off the edge of a swivel chair.
She’s surrounded by dozens of TV cameras but has no understanding of why she’s suddenly the centre of attention.
Sofia, whose real name we are not using, is a gravely ill four-year-old caught in the crosshairs of Donald Trump’s sweeping and often indiscriminate immigration policy.
Sofia was born with short bowel syndrome, a debilitating and life-threatening condition
The White House has ordered she leaves the US immediately, but Sofia’s doctors at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles say that – if she is sent back to her home country of Mexico and her treatment stops – she could die within days.
As Sofia places rainbow stickers carefully in a book and plays snap, the lawyers fighting for her to remain in the US speak at a podium on her behalf.
“We’re sending them to die,” Gina Amato Lough, a lawyer for the pro bono firm Public Counsel, says.
“That’s not justice and it doesn’t make us any safer. We cannot let our country turn its back on this child.”
Sofia wears a backpack for 14 hours at night and four hours during the day which keeps her alive – containing nutrients she can’t absorb naturally.
It is cutting-edge healthcare only available in the US.
Sofia wears a backpack – containing nutrients she can’t absorb naturally
She was born with short bowel syndrome, a debilitating and life-threatening condition that meant she spent most of the first two years of her life in hospital.
Under the Biden administration, Sofia and her mother Deysi entered the US legally in July 2023 – granted humanitarian parole to access medical care for two years.
But in April – three months into Donald Trump’s presidency – the 28-year-old received a letter from the Department of Homeland Security, informing her that the family’s right to stay in the country was being revoked.
“It is time to leave the United States,” the first line of the letter reads.
Sofia’s mother said: ‘It’s always in my mind that my daughter can die’
“Even before getting the letters, I would hear in the news how many people are being deported, even with humanitarian paroles, and I worried a lot,” Deysi says.
“I was always walking down the street looking over my shoulder, there is so much fear and so much anxiety, it’s very hard.
“It’s always in my mind that my daughter can die. It may not sound real, but it is really what will happen if my daughter is not connected to her treatment.”
Sofia’s lawyers warn that if there is an interruption to her treatment, her doctors say it could be “fatal within days”.
Sofia and her mother Deysi entered the US legally from Mexico in July 2023. Pic: Jeremy Cohen/Public Counsel
The lawyers have written to officials within the Trump administration, but say they haven’t heard back yet.
“It seems as if nobody noticed that this child is four years old and that she will die without her treatment,” Ms Lough says.
“And not only have they not responded, but they have continued sending notices to the family verifying that their status has been cancelled and that they are required to leave the United States immediately.
“Sofia’s doctors have been clear that she will die within days. Deporting this family under these conditions is not only unlawful, it constitutes a moral failure that violates the basic tenets of humanity and decency.”
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Doctors have warned Sofia could die within days if she is deported from the US. Pic: Deysi Vargas
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said: “Any reporting that [the family] are actively being deported are FALSE. This family applied for humanitarian parole on May 14, 2025, and the application is still being considered.”
When approached by Sky News, Trump’s border czar Tom Homan denied specific knowledge of Sofia’s case, but said he would instruct the White House press office to “look into” the circumstances.
For now, Sofia is a tiny symbol of the human casualties of often unbending and ruthless immigration policy.
The United States and European Union have agreed a trade deal, says Donald Trump.
The announcement was made as the US president met European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen at one of his golf resorts in Scotland.
Speaking after talks in Turnberry, Mr Trump said the EU deal was the “biggest deal ever made” and it will be “great for cars”.
The US will impose 15% tariffs on EU goods into America, after Mr Trump had threatened a 30% levy.
He said there will be an EU investment of $600bn in the US, the bloc will buy $750bn in US energy and will also purchase US military equipment.
Mr Trump had earlier said the main sticking point was “fairness”, citing barriers to US exports of cars and agriculture.
He went into the talks demanding fairer trade with the 27-member EU and threatening steep tariffs to achieve that, while insisting the US will not go below 15% import taxes.
For months, Mr Trump has threatened most of the world with large tariffs in the hope of shrinking major US trade deficits with many key trading partners, including the EU.
Ms von der Leyen said the agreement would include 15% tariffs across the board, saying it would help rebalance trade between the two large trading partners.
In case there was no deal and the US had imposed 30% tariffs from 1 August, the EU has prepared counter-tariffs on €93bn (£81bn) of US goods.
Ahead of their meeting on Sunday, Ms von der Leyen described Mr Trump as a “tough negotiator and dealmaker”.
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At least 11 people have been stabbed at a Walmart supermarket in Michigan, with six in a critical condition.
Officials say a suspect is in custody – and at this stage, it is believed the attack was a “random act” that involved a folding-style knife near the checkout area.
Sheriff Michael Shea told reporters: “Eleven is 11 too many, but thank God it wasn’t more.”
Pic: AP
The suspect, who is from Michigan, is not known to police – and was captured within three minutes thanks to “citizen involvement”.
The attack unfolded in Traverse City – and Tiffany DeFell, who was in the car park at the time, described scenes of chaos.
“It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out,” she said. “This is something you see out of the movies.”
Beyond the six people in a critical condition, it is believed the remaining five were seriously hurt. All 11 are still being treated in hospital.
Pic: AP
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said: “Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence.”
A Walmart spokesperson added that the retailer is working closely with law enforcement.
“Violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we’re thankful for the swift action of first responders,” a statement said.
Pic: AP
At this stage, the ages of the victims is unclear – but it is not thought any of the victims were Walmart employees.
Traverse City is about 255 miles northwest of Detroit.
A US passenger plane made a dramatic plunge minutes after take-off to dodge another aircraft – injuring two cabin crew and causing passengers to shoot out of their seats.
The Southwest flight had just taken off from Burbank in California when the pilot received an alert about a nearby plane.
Data from FlightAware shows the aircraft dropped by 91m (300ft) in just 36 seconds. Those on board said they felt panicked, and some feared the plane was about to crash.
Comedian Jimmy Dore posted on X: “Pilot had to dive aggressively to avoid mid-air collision … myself and plenty of people flew out of their seats and bumped heads on ceiling, a flight attendant needed medical attention.”
Stef Zambrano saw a woman who wasn’t wearing her seatbelt thrown out of her seat, who then said: “I want to get off this plane. I want to be on the ground.”
Another passenger, Steve Ulasewicz, told NBC Los Angeles that it felt like the plane was in freefall for 10 seconds.
“People were screaming. You know, it was pandemonium. People thought the plane was going down,” he added.
The aircraft was able to continue to its destination of Las Vegas, where it safely landed without any further incident.
It is believed the Boeing 737 was in the same vicinity as a Hawker Hunter Mk. 58, a British fighter jet.
Southwest is now working with the Federal Aviation Administration “to further understand the circumstances” of the event.
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This is the second time in a week that a passenger plane has had to make abrupt flight manoeuvres to avoid a potential mid-air collision.
Concerns have been raised about aviation safety in the US following a series of recent incidents.
In January, a mid-air collision in Washington DC killed 67 people.
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