(CNN)An 8-year-old Guatemalan boy died late Christmas Eve in the custody of US Customs and Border Protection, the agency said, the second Guatemalan child to die in the agency's custody this month.
Rep. Joaquin Castro, chairman-elect of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, identified the child in a statement as Felipe Alonzo-Gomez.
The boy, who was detained with his father, died shortly before midnight at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center in Alamogordo, New Mexico, about 90 miles north of the border crossing in El Paso, Texas.
"This is a tragic loss," CBP Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan said. "On behalf of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, our deepest sympathies go out to the family."
The boy was taken to the hospital Monday after a border agent noticed signs of illness, and the medical staff first diagnosed him with a common cold and later detected a fever.
"The child was held for an additional 90 minutes for observation and then released from the hospital mid-afternoon on December 24 with prescriptions for amoxicillin and Ibuprofen," CBP said in a news release. Amoxicillin is a commonly prescribed antibiotic.
The boy was taken to the hospital Monday after a border agent noticed signs of illness, and the medical staff first diagnosed him with a common cold and later detected a fever.
"The child was held for an additional 90 minutes for observation and then released from the hospital mid-afternoon on December 24 with prescriptions for amoxicillin and Ibuprofen," CBP said in a news release. Amoxicillin is a commonly prescribed antibiotic.
On Monday evening, the boy began vomiting and was taken back to the hospital for evaluation. He died hours later, the CBP said.
The official cause of death is unknown. CBP is conducting a review and will release more details as they become available, it said.
In the wake of the boy's death, McAleenan announced a series of moves on Tuesday night.
The official cause of death is unknown. CBP is conducting a review and will release more details as they become available, it said.
In the wake of the boy's death, McAleenan announced a series of moves on Tuesday night.
First, Border Patrol is conducting secondary medical checks on all children in CBP care and custody with a particular focus on children under 10.
Second, Border Patrol is working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on available surge options for transportation to Family Residential Centers and supervised release, CBP said. The agency also is reviewing other custody options to relieve capacity issues in the El Paso sector, such as working with nongovernmental organizations or local partners for temporary housing.
Third, CBP is considering options for medical assistance with other governmental partners, the agency said. That could include support from the Coast Guard, as well as possibly more aid from the Department of Defense, FEMA, Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Finally, CBP is reviewing its policies with a particular focus on the care and custody of children under 10, both at intake and beyond 24 hours in custody, the agency said.
16 comments:
The kids made a difficult journey and many were not in good health at the start. Sadly, many of these folks die on the journey. Brooks County is littered with their bodies. The Border Patrol tries to give them the best care available. Also lets not forget that many American kids die each year. Still, the loss of any of these precious children in a tradgedy. Yet folks try to make political hay out of this regretable loss.
This is an unfortunate incident, however these immigrants bring it upon themselves and now they will find a money hungry lawyer and blame the USBP for this in an effort obtain money and blame the USBP for enforcing the US immigration laws of this nation
It’s the parents fault no one else they are responsible for the care of their child .. not the government! They have no quality of ccate in their home state so now they blame the government,,,,, please
Wow! From the same country? Maybe Trump has something when he says they are bringing diseases into our country. Who is watching out for anything contagious that our Border Patrol is being exposed to. Build the wall!
child died. yes. however Border protection had nothing to do with it.
It starts at the top with that racist republican pendejo at the WH.
Hope to God that Castro and others politician are not using this venture for political advances. Both of the children died in United States Hospitals not in hold-up centers. They were being tended to like every other "legal" citizen, they were not being neglected, nor tortured. They were given medication, and were released back to one of their parents. Did the parent administer the medication as prescribed? The parent should have known if there was a problem. The medication should still be in their system. Maybe the doctors who were tending to the these children need to be investigated as to cause of death. If the children were indeed that sick to warn death, then why were they released back? Did the doctors truly render the standard of care like every other child? These children died while they were under doctor's care and with the parent. The question is who is going to pay for the medical bills that were incurred in this unfortunate death? Is Castro or Filemon Vela going to pick up the bill? Remember these centers were created for a profit to house CHILDREN. Shame on these so called leaders if any of the above fits . This is my opinion.
The same treatment was not, and have not been given to the Haitian refugees men with six wives and 16 children????
It has been proven that they are corrupt thieves cheating the welfare system, gang rape is practiced in every state, and Trump turns a blind eye to this. They practice their own law and culture and maim their girls with circumcision what does Trump do NOTHING. All he says is I want the wall, to keep the corrupt out. When his term is over and he goes to jail for corruption tax evasion, lieing to the people
Then he will watch as the wall will have gaps in it every few miles.
Many lives are saved, however this is overlooked.
Consider just the ones that are dehydrated in the desert or the ones brutally attacked up and down the river. Why doesn't anyone complain to the Mexican police for their lack of vigilance.
All the responsibility for any and all misfortune goes to the U.S. Border Patrol. Now, that's another black eye.
There may be as many as 20,000 or more Border Patrol men and women who are doing miraculous deeds everyday and the news only highlights the maniacs.
In the deserts and brush land along the border many illegal immigrants are given IV's and revived and some are even sent to Hospitals in a Medic Vac. Dozens and maybe hundreds of lives saved but this is keep under wraps.
Just wonder how many children are lost in Chicago to drive by shootings.
Certainly just the one lost child is one too many. But to highlight this loss as negligent and keep the flame of discontent is misguided.
The colleges are full of non U.S. born students getting financial aid and college intern jobs.
There are so many outright gifts of free education and subsidized living and food stuffs that the country is way far and above the world average of helping mankind.
Then there is a case for the Native Americans. In many ares of the U.S. and Canada they are subsidized and many become very productive citizens.
Then there are the Cuban Americans. There are more Cubans living in the Miami area than in Cuba.
Many of the Cubans now living legally in the U.S.A. with green cards eventually become full fledged U.S. citizens.
These Cuban Americans are living the American dream.
Too bad these two poor Central American children passes away.
Wish we could save them all.
God Bless America.
200 less per day for southwest kee
The US needs to stop the finicial aid that reeps into the millions of tax dollars . And lets see what there government will do.
I DONT GIVE A FUCK ABOUT DEAD INVADERS. I hope trump closes the border . It is extremely effected. Most of you brownsville/Matamoros idiots don’t remember when the US Gov. ordered a bridge slowdown at the border when DEA agent Camerena was killed in Guadalajara. Every car and person was checked and It took 7 hours to cross the local bridges lasting about a week. This action brought the Mexican government to its knees . México is the sewer of North America.
12:58... Your comment is truly disgusting. I could write you off as some kind of mental degenerate, but there are many like you. You are an example of what is wrong with America.
I voted for Trump, because I agree with most of his adgenda. Most, but not all. While I agree with most of his adgenda, he himself is a smarmy creep. I never want to be associated with such hate for others, as you express. One can hold conservative political views without being a racist idiot like you. I hope you have some spiritual awakening before the Grim Reaper knocks on your door. I fear you will have a sad account to make when you stand before our Creator who made us all...yes even the Mexicans you hate. They are his creation and children just like everybody else.
2:56pm, triggered snowflake alert ! Mission accomplished!
Wow these posters write like they just got off the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Cockroach Europeans..
As best as I can make of these comments is the Euro-Roachs blame the right people and the Naco-Dems blame ICE no matter what the facts.
Post a Comment