An 8-Year-Old Boy Died On Christmas Morning After He Was Held By Border Protection – By Talal Ansari (buzzfeed.com) / Dec 25 2018
The child died just after midnight after showing “signs of potential illness.”
An 8-year-old boy who was held by US Customs and Border Protection died at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center in Alamogordo, New Mexico, immigration authorities said.
The child, who was from Guatemala, was in CBP custody on Dec. 24 when he began showing “signs of potential illness,” according to a statement from border authorities. He was transferred to the hospital accompanied by his father.
“The child was initially diagnosed by hospital staff with a common cold, and when evaluated for release, hospital staff found a fever,” the statement said.
After being held for 90 minutes for observation, the child and his father were released on Monday afternoon. That evening, the child “exhibited nausea and vomiting” and was sent back to the hospital, where he passed away shortly after midnight, CBP said.
“The official cause of the child’s death is not known,” CBP said, adding that the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility will conduct a review. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General, the Guatemalan government, and Congress have been notified.
CBP declined to name the child, but Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat, identified him as Felipe Alonzo-Gomez.
“While the CBP notified Congress within 24 hours as mandated by law, we must ensure that we treat migrants and asylum-seekers with human dignity and provide the necessary medical care to anyone in the custody of the United States government,” Castro said in a statement. “Congress should investigate this tragedy upon its return to session.”
An official with knowledge of the death told BuzzFeed News the family entered the US in El Paso on Dec. 18.
Representatives at the Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this month, Jakelin Caal, a 7-year-old girl from Guatemala, died hours after she and her father were taken into custody in New Mexico.
On Friday, the Trump administration officials defended their actions in Caal’s case. Border authorities said the father had signed a form at the time of apprehension saying she wasn’t sick. The form was in English and explained to the father in Spanish but he may have only understood an indigenous Mayan language.
Caal’s death was a reminder of the dangers migrants face as they attempt to seek asylum in the US as President Donald Trump continues to push for stricter border and immigration policies.
“With two deaths that we know about just in the last few weeks,” Castro said, “Congress will continue to press the Department of Homeland Security until we get answers to all our questions.”
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/talalansari/boy-dies-guatemala-border-protection
