An 11-year-old Texas child committed suicide after bullies threatened to call US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to deport her family.
Jocelynn Rojo Carranza committed herself following months of bullying from her sixth-grade classmates about her family’s immigration status, with some even threatening to report them to ICE.
According to media accounts, Jocelynn’s classmates warned her that if her family was deported, she would be alone in the United States. There is no evidence that the Carranza family was living in the United States illegally.
On February 3, Marbella Carranza, a single mother from Gainesville, received a call notifying her that her 11-year-old daughter had attempted suicide in their home. She was brought to an intensive care facility in Dallas, where she fought for her life until unfortunately dying on February 8, according to a GoFundMe page.
“I waited a whole week for a miracle that my daughter would be well, but unfortunately nothing could be done,” Marbella Carranza told Univision. “My daughter will always live for me, and I will always love her.”
Gainesville Intermediate School was aware of Jocelynn Rojo Carranza’s ongoing bullying, with classmates mocking her about being abandoned if her parents were deported.
The harassment became so intense that she saw a school counselor multiple times each week.
However, her family was continually kept unaware of the circumstances.
Marbella Carranza, who only learned of her daughter’s bullying after she died, is now working with investigators and school officials to figure out what caused the situation and why her family was never notified.
The sixth-grader’s de@th comes as the Trump administration steps up efforts to deport people residing in the United States illegally.
On Tuesday, February 18, the White House tweeted a video of migrants in shackles being carried onto a plane heading for an undisclosed location.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
