How Bullying in Texas Over Immigration Status Drove a Child to Despair

GAINSVILLE, Texas - 11-year-old Jocelynn Rojo Carranza took her own life after endless bullying by her classmates over her immigration status. Schoolmates teased Carranza and threatened to call Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and have her deported.

On February 3, 2025, Marbella Carranza, Joeclynn's mother, received a devastating phone call that her daughter had attempted suicide at their family home. Jocelynn was rushed to an intensive care unit in Dallas where she sadly passed away a few days later on February 8th.

Marbella told Univision, "I waited a whole week for a miracle that my daughter would be well, but unfortunately nothing could be done. My daughter will always live with me, and I will always love her."

Jocelynn was a student at Gainesville Intermediate School and staff members were already aware of the relentless bullying she faced from her classmates. It had gotten to the point where she was meeting several times a week with a school counselor, but for some reason, school officials never told her mother about the harassment she was dealing with.

Marbella Carranza is now working with investigators to learn why she was never made aware that her daughter was under extreme duress from being bullied and taunted at school, so much so, that she felt the only way out was to take her own life.

This is one of many tragic examples of why teaching children kindness, love, and compassion for those around them is so important. Children aren't born hating one another. Bullying is a learned behavior.

Please be sensitive and use discretion when speaking with your children about the many things in life they aren't old enough to truly understand. Don't bring them up to become bullies. Please think about the impact of conversations you have in front of your children at home and how they can carry over into their school life and negatively impact those around them.

RIP to Jocelynn Rojo Carranza. May she feel tremendous love and acceptance in the afterlife that she was tragically missing her life on earth.