Remembering Jocelynn Rojo Carranza: The 11-Year-Old Latina Dies by Suicide After Enduring ICE Threats at Texas School

The weight of cruelty proved too much for an 11-year-old Latina girl in Texas. Jocelynn Rojo Carranza, tormented for months by classmates who threatened to call ICE authorities to deport her family, took her own life on February 3. Paramedics managed to revive her, but five days later, she was declared brain dead at a hospital in Dallas. Her mother, Marbella, says the school never informed her about the relentless bullying until it was too late. 

Gainesville Middle School, where Jocelynn was a sixth grader, acknowledged her death in a statement, though it did not mention her name. The school urged parents, teachers, and counselors to be vigilant in listening to students who may be struggling. 

What Happened to Jocelynn Rojo Carranza?

According to Univision, Jocelynn had sought help from the school counselor as often as twice a week, detailing the harassment she endured over her Hispanic heritage. Her classmates, she confided, had told her immigration officers would take her parents, leaving her alone in the United States. 

The fear her classmates weaponized against her was not abstract. The climate of hostility toward immigrants, particularly Latinos, has intensified under the current administration. Mass deportations have increased, visa processes have stalled, and rhetoric framing immigrants as threats has emboldened xenophobia in schools, workplaces, and communities. The Laken Riley Act, which allows states to demand the suspension of visas from certain countries, and the renewed push for family separations at the border have only reinforced an environment where immigrant families live under constant fear. 

For children like Jocelynn, that fear seeps into the classroom, where bullying takes on an even crueler form. Taunts are no longer just words. As you can see, they become threats of losing one’s home, one’s parents, one’s sense of safety. Studies have long shown the severe psychological toll of bullying, particularly when it involves racial or ethnic harassment. Children who experience bullying are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. The American Psychological Association has warned that the rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric directly affects the mental health of Latino children, who increasingly report feeling unsafe in their own schools. 

How to Help Children Enduring Bullying at School

Parents can take steps to protect their children, but only if they know what’s happening. Experts urge parents to talk openly about bullying, encourage children to report any incidents, and demand accountability from schools. The responsibility, however, does not rest on parents alone. Schools must be proactive in addressing bullying, rather than reacting only when tragedy strikes. Jocelynn had been visiting the school counselor regularly, yet no one alerted her mother or took steps to stop the harassment. 

This Latina Child Did Not Deserve This

The Gainesville Police Department has opened an investigation, though there has been no indication of accountability from the school or those who tormented her. In death, Jocelynn received the recognition denied to her in life—a statement of grief from her school, a call for awareness that arrived too late to save her. 

Her funeral will be held Wednesday at Fairview Cemetery. Her family will mourn her loss, another child gone too soon, while others wonder how many more must suffer before schools, lawmakers, and communities act.