Table of Contents
Topline
An eight-year-old girl who had crossed the southern border with her family died in Border Patrol custody in Texas on Wednesday, according to border officials, an incident which comes just days after a teenage migrant from Honduras died at a government-run shelter.
A child watches as a U.S. Border Patrol agent searches a fellow Central American immigrant after … [+]
Key Facts
In a statement, Customs and Border Protection officials said the child and her family were in custody at the Border Patrol station in Harlingen, Texas when she “experienced a medical emergency.”
The girl was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The agency is investigating the death and will release “additional information” later, the statement added.
Key Background
Last week, an unaccompanied 17-year-old migrant who had traveled from Honduras died at a shelter run by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in Florida. Honduran President Enrique Reina identified the teenager as Ángel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza. The Office of Refugee Resettlement is reviewing the deceased 17-year-old’s healthcare records and other clinical details, while the HHS said there is an ongoing medical examiner investigation into the death. The deaths of the two minors follow the end of Title 42, the pandemic-era border restriction which allowed officials to quickly expel migrants entering through the southern border.
News Peg
Government officials have warned that overcrowding at holding facilities might get worse due to the expiration of the rule. In order to deal with this overcrowding, the Biden administration had asked some Border Patrol stations to release a small number of “carefully vetted” migrants on parole with instructions to report to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office. This move was halted by a federal judge after last week after the Florida Attorney General filed a lawsuit to halt the releases.
Further Reading
Migrant Teen Dies In U.S. Custody—As Officials Grapple With Title 42 Expiration (Forbes)
Florida Sues Biden Administration Over Plan To Release Migrants On Parole After Title 42 Ends (Forbes)
