Family devastated after Texas school bullying incident
An 11-year-old girl in Texas tragically took her own life after enduring relentless bullying from classmates who threatened to report her family to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), her grieving parents have revealed.
Bullying and lack of intervention
Jocelynn Rojo Carranza passed away on February 8 after spending five days in a Dallas hospital. According to her mother, Marbella Carranza, Jocelynn had been tormented for weeks by sixth-grade classmates at Gainesville Intermediate School, located about 70 miles north of Dallas. Despite notifying school officials multiple times, no action was taken to stop the harassment.
Her death comes amidst a nationwide crackdown on undocumented immigrants, following President Donald Trump’s directive for the “largest deportation operation in American history.” Federal agents have been conducting targeted raids affecting approximately 12 million undocumented immigrants.
Harassment led to tragic consequences
Jocelynn’s classmates reportedly taunted her, warning that she would be left alone once her family was deported. The bullying escalated, and despite seeking help from school counselors multiple times per week, the young girl saw no relief.
“I waited a whole week for a miracle that my daughter would be well, but unfortunately, nothing could be done,” her mother told Univision. “My daughter will always live for me, and I will always love her.”
Community response and GoFundMe campaign
As part of the ongoing immigration enforcement efforts, ICE has nearly doubled its daily arrest rate since Trump’s inauguration. More than 10,000 individuals have already been deported on military flights, a process widely publicized by the White House.
During Jocelynn’s hospital stay, her family set up a GoFundMe page to help cover medical expenses. Her father, Ernesto Alonso Rojo, shared an emotional plea on February 15: “Please all help me and my daughter Jocelynn Rojo. She needs to come back home; she is in an emergency children’s hospital. Any help, God blesses you back. Thank you very much to all praying. Dios los bendiga y le mande salud a mi niña!!!”
Supporters flooded the donation page with messages of condolence. One individual wrote in Spanish: “My deepest condolences — there are no words. Fight for justice for your beloved Jocelynn, and hopefully one day you will feel peace knowing that she is no longer suffering and that so many have her in their thoughts and prayers.”
The Independent has reached out to Gainesville Intermediate School for comment regarding the incident.
