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Texas Girl, 11, Suicide After Bullying Over Immigration Status

February 19, 2025
An 11-year-old girl took her life after classmates bullied her over her family's immigration status.

Jocelynn Rojo Carranza tragically took her own life after enduring months of relentless bullying from her sixth-grade classmates over her family's immigration status. Some students even threatened to report her family to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

On February 3, Carranza’s mother, Marbella Carranza, received a call informing her that her daughter had attempted suicide at their home in Gainesville, Texas. The 11-year-old was rushed to an intensive care unit in Dallas, where she remained for several days before passing away on February 8, as noted on a GoFundMe page.

"I waited an entire week for a miracle, hoping my daughter would recover, but unfortunately, nothing could be done," Marbella told Univision. "She will always live on in my heart, and I will always love her."

Gainesville Intermediate School was aware that Carranza was being bullied, with classmates taunting her that she would be left alone once her parents were deported. The harassment had become so severe that she was meeting with a school counselor multiple times a week. However, her family was never informed of the situation.

Now, Marbella is working with investigators and school officials to uncover the full details of what happened and why her daughter’s struggles were never brought to the family’s attention.