The Biden administration has seen another heartbreaking incident as an eight-year-old migrant girl tragically suffered a “medical emergency” and lost her life while in the custody of U.S. Border Patrol officials in Texas.
According to a press release by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Wednesday, the incident happened while the young girl was at a Border Patrol station with her family in Harlingen, Texas. While she was transported to a local hospital and efforts were made to save her life, she was pronounced dead at the hospital, per officials.
This heart-wrenching incident follows the recent death of a 17-year-old boy from Honduras, who died while under the care of a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services facility in Safety Harbor, Florida. Reports have it that the boy passed away in his sleep on May 10.
Speaking to the AP, the grieving mother of the young boy shared her anguish, recalling the last phone call with her son where he reassured her that he was in good hands. It was only a few days later that a friend from the shelter informed her of the devastating news that her son had died.
CBP officials have chosen not to release the identity of the eight-year-old who lost her life on May 17, nor have they disclosed her nationality and that of her family.
In line with standard protocol, the Office of Professional Responsibility within CBP is reportedly conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and the Harlingen Police Department have also been notified and are participating in the investigation.
These tragic events underscore the immense challenges and humanitarian crisis that the U.S. is struggling with at the southern border while serving as a reminder of the urgent need for responsible and comprehensive immigration reform.
Calls for a reformed immigration system are partly borne out of worry that the Biden administration’s lax immigration policies and failure to secure the border have created an environment where vulnerable children and families are subjected to dangerous and uncertain conditions.
However, President Joe Biden does not appear to be bothered by the crisis as he told an interviewer on May 14 that things at the border are “much better than…expected.”
Biden says the situation at the border is "better than you all expected."
No plans to visit. pic.twitter.com/xI7c3uc6tg
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) May 15, 2023
