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Guatemalan Teenager Dies at Border Station While Awaiting Move to Shelter Guatemalan Teenager Dies at Border Station While Awaiting Move to Shelter
(about 3 hours later)
WASHINGTON — A 16-year-old Guatemalan boy was found dead at a Border Patrol station in southern Texas on Monday morning, after a week of waiting in holding facilities to be sent to a shelter for migrant children.WASHINGTON — A 16-year-old Guatemalan boy was found dead at a Border Patrol station in southern Texas on Monday morning, after a week of waiting in holding facilities to be sent to a shelter for migrant children.
A statement by the Customs and Border Protection agency did not identify the teenager, and said the cause of his death was not immediately known.A statement by the Customs and Border Protection agency did not identify the teenager, and said the cause of his death was not immediately known.
He was the third migrant child — all of them from Guatemala — to die in Custom and Border Protection’s custody since December. A fourth, another 16-year-old Guatemalan boy, died last month after being placed in a shelter for young migrants by the Department of Health and Human Services.He was the third migrant child — all of them from Guatemala — to die in Custom and Border Protection’s custody since December. A fourth, another 16-year-old Guatemalan boy, died last month after being placed in a shelter for young migrants by the Department of Health and Human Services.
“The men and women of U.S. Customs and Border Protection are saddened by the tragic loss of this young man and our condolences are with his family,” John Sanders, the agency’s acting commissioner, said in the statement on Monday. He said the agency “is committed to the health, safety and humane treatment of those in our custody.” “The men and women of U.S. Customs and Border Protection are saddened by the tragic loss of this young man and our condolences are with his family,” John Sanders, the agency’s acting commissioner, said in the statement on Monday. He said the agency was “committed to the health, safety and humane treatment of those in our custody.”
The boy who died on Monday had entered the United States near the border town of Hidalgo, Tex., on May 13. He was held in a processing center in the agency’s Rio Grande Valley sector until Sunday, when he was moved to a Border Patrol station in the city of Weslaco, about 20 miles away.The boy who died on Monday had entered the United States near the border town of Hidalgo, Tex., on May 13. He was held in a processing center in the agency’s Rio Grande Valley sector until Sunday, when he was moved to a Border Patrol station in the city of Weslaco, about 20 miles away.
He was waiting to be sent to a shelter for housing migrant children and teenagers; the statement did not identify where it was located.He was waiting to be sent to a shelter for housing migrant children and teenagers; the statement did not identify where it was located.
It was not clear if the boy was alone when his body was found, or if he had a previously known medical condition, and Customs and Border Protection officials did not immediately respond to questions for clarity. The agency said it is investigating his death and the circumstances around it. It was not clear if the boy was alone when his body was found, or if he had a previously known medical condition, and Customs and Border Protection officials did not immediately respond to questions for clarity. The agency said it was investigating his death and the circumstances around it.
“There must be an independent investigation into this child’s death,” Ashley Houghton, tactical campaigns manager at Amnesty International USA, said in a statement. “It is dangerous and cruel to detain people, particularly children, in crowded and unsanitary conditions for seeking protection. The administration must respect human rights by ending detention of children.”“There must be an independent investigation into this child’s death,” Ashley Houghton, tactical campaigns manager at Amnesty International USA, said in a statement. “It is dangerous and cruel to detain people, particularly children, in crowded and unsanitary conditions for seeking protection. The administration must respect human rights by ending detention of children.”
The boy’s death highlights the dangerous trek that migrants endure to reach the United States border from Central America. Earlier this month, a 10-month-old baby was found dead in the Rio Grande after a raft carrying migrants overturned near the Texas border.The boy’s death highlights the dangerous trek that migrants endure to reach the United States border from Central America. Earlier this month, a 10-month-old baby was found dead in the Rio Grande after a raft carrying migrants overturned near the Texas border.
The deaths also underscore the medical risks that children face in Border Patrol facilities, which have been pushed beyond capacity in recent months as the number of migrants has surged.The deaths also underscore the medical risks that children face in Border Patrol facilities, which have been pushed beyond capacity in recent months as the number of migrants has surged.
Customs and Border Protection officials in April detained 109,144 migrants at the southwest border, including at its legal ports of entry — the highest total since 2007. Customs and Border Protection officials in April detained 109,144 migrants at the southwestern border, including at its legal ports of entry — the highest total since 2007.
To ease the overflow at the stations, the Department of Homeland Security has begun busing migrants to other facilities along the border, and just last week began flying immigrants from Texas to California to be processed. The department, which is the parent agency of Customs and Border Protection, has also built tent cities in Texas to house migrant families and children.To ease the overflow at the stations, the Department of Homeland Security has begun busing migrants to other facilities along the border, and just last week began flying immigrants from Texas to California to be processed. The department, which is the parent agency of Customs and Border Protection, has also built tent cities in Texas to house migrant families and children.
Customs and Border Protection officials are responsible for detaining and processing migrants after they cross the border, and then turning over children and teenagers to the Health and Human Services’ custody to be placed shelters. Customs and Border Protection officials are responsible for detaining and processing migrants after they cross the border, and then turning over children and teenagers to the custody of Health and Human Services to be placed in shelters.
But space is also limited in Health and Human Services facilities, causing migrants to remain detained in Border Patrol centers for longer than usual. But space is also limited in those facilities, causing migrants to remain detained in Border Patrol centers for longer than usual.
A court ruling that prohibits the government from detaining children for more than 20 days has also forced the Border Patrol to release migrant families into the United States as they wait for their immigration hearings.A court ruling that prohibits the government from detaining children for more than 20 days has also forced the Border Patrol to release migrant families into the United States as they wait for their immigration hearings.