Univision reporter follows detained infant's case from Texas to Guatemala

Lidia Terrazas uncovered urgent questions about ICE policy while reporting on baby Juan Nicolás's detention and deportation

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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Lidia Terrazas, a national correspondent for the Spanish-language news network N+ Univision, had been reporting on families at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley for nearly a year when she learned of 2-month-old Juan Nicolás, who was being held at the ICE detention center despite a directive that nursing infants and their mothers up to a year postpartum should not be detained. Terrazas used her social media platform to draw attention to Juan Nicolás's story, and after the baby's bronchitis worsened, she followed the family as they were deported to Mexico and then accompanied them to their remote village in Guatemala.

Why it matters

Terrazas's reporting on Juan Nicolás's case highlighted the urgent questions surrounding ICE's detention of young children and nursing mothers, which goes against the agency's own directives. Her work also brought attention to the broader issue of family separations and deportations at the border.

The details

When Terrazas first learned about Juan Nicolás, she was shocked that a child so young was being held at the Dilley detention center. Despite a 2021 ICE directive that nursing infants and their mothers up to a year postpartum should not be detained, Juan Nicolás and his family had already spent weeks at the facility after turning themselves in to border agents to request asylum. By the time Terrazas made contact with the baby's mother, Mireya Lopez, Juan Nicolás had developed severe bronchitis. Terrazas used her social media platform to draw attention to the case, and as the baby's condition worsened, he was taken to a local hospital before being quickly deported with his family to Mexico. Terrazas followed the family to Piedras Negras, where the Mexican government arranged for Juan Nicolás to receive medical care, and then accompanied them to their remote village in Guatemala.

  • In February 2026, Lidia Terrazas learned about the case of 2-month-old Juan Nicolás, who was being held at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas.
  • Juan Nicolás and his family had already spent weeks at the Dilley detention center after turning themselves in to border agents to request asylum.
  • As Juan Nicolás's bronchitis worsened, he was taken to a local hospital before being quickly deported with his family to Mexico.
  • Terrazas followed the family to Piedras Negras, Mexico, and then accompanied them to their remote village in Guatemala.

The players

Lidia Terrazas

A national correspondent for the Spanish-language news network N+ Univision who had been reporting on families at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley for nearly a year.

Juan Nicolás

A 2-month-old baby who was held at the South Texas Family Residential Center, an ICE detention center in Dilley, Texas.

Mireya Lopez

The mother of Juan Nicolás, who was afraid to speak out about her son's detention and poor medical care at the Dilley facility.

Juan Momo

The father of Juan Nicolás, who has family in the remote Guatemalan village where the family was eventually deported.

Corey Martin

An attorney who was inside the Dilley detention center trying to reach the family of Juan Nicolás.

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What they’re saying

“She seemed so desperate, and I could hear his chest when he would breathe. I could hear that noise in his chest.”

— Lidia Terrazas, Univision reporter (MySA)

“They were able to stall her for two-and-a-half hours until they snuck out the family and took them straight to the border.”

— Lidia Terrazas, Univision reporter (MySA)

“In the Mexican hotel, they had looked 'distraught.' Now, 'they look at peace,' but neither Mireya nor Juan can stop talking about Dilley. They've implored Terrazas to tell other families' stories, too.”

— Lidia Terrazas, Univision reporter (MySA)

What’s next

As Terrazas turns her attention from Juan Nicolás's case to that of Juana, whom ICE deported while 36 weeks pregnant, she has yet to take a moment to reflect on the emotional toll of her reporting. However, she is determined to continue her work, fueled by the trust of the families she has covered, in order to shed light on the broader issues of family separations and deportations at the border.

The takeaway

Terrazas's reporting on Juan Nicolás's case highlights the urgent need to address the detention of young children and nursing mothers by ICE, which goes against the agency's own directives. Her work has brought much-needed attention to the human impact of these policies and the importance of holding the government accountable for its treatment of vulnerable immigrant families.