He is the second minor to die in less than a week under undisclosed circumstances at the hands of United States immigration officials, the first being a 17-year-old from Honduras.
This Wednesday (05.17.2023) an 8-year-old girl died while in the custody of US immigration officials, the country’s Border Patrol (CBP) reported.
The minor and his family were in CBP custody when he “experienced a medical emergency” at Border Patrol facilities in Harlington, Texas, the government detailed in a statement.
According to the statement, immigration officers called emergency medical services at the CBP station where the minor was located, and they transferred her to a local hospital, where she eventually died.
The nationalities of the minor and his family are still unknown, as are details regarding the cause of his death. CBP assured in the statement that it would provide additional information about the death at a later date.
The minor’s death comes five days after another migrant death was reported in the case of a 17-year-old boy from Honduras who was in the custody of authorities in Florida.
Both tragedies come after the US last week lifted Title 42, a measure initiated by Donald Trump (2017-2021) and continued by President Joe Biden to quickly deport migrants under the pretext of a pandemic.
Under the new rules, which come into effect from May 11, authorities can detain migrants who cross irregularly until an official decides whether or not to file an asylum case.
Given the immigration scenario in the US, civil and pro-immigrant groups filed a federal lawsuit in a California court against the Biden administration for restrictions imposed on asylum seekers.
