15-Year-Old Migrant Dies in US Custody; Fourth Death in Border Protection

15-year-old Migrant Customs and Border Protection US Custody HHS

By E.Baloyo , Parent Herald Jul 12, 07:34 am

Photo: (Photo : John Moore / Getty Images)

In a heartbreaking incident, a 15-year-old migrant girl from Guatemala, who had crossed the southern border in May, passed away earlier this week while under U.S. custody.

Tragically, the Department of Health and Human Services has announced that the young girl has been pronounced dead on Monday morning. The young girl was unaccompanied and had a pre-existing medical condition, which likely contributed to her untimely death. No specific information regarding the disease was provided by officials.

However, it was revealed that the cause of her untimely demise was determined to be multi-organ failure, which was a direct result of complications arising from her pre-existing medical condition.

15-Year-Old Migrant Dies in U.S. Custody Under Customs and Border Protection

According to KTSM, the child's health started to worsen on July 7, 2023. Tragically, the child was pronounced dead on July 10, 2023, at 9:25 am EDT. The cause of death was attributed to multi-organ failure caused by complications arising from the child's underlying disease.

The 15-year-old migrant who lacked legal immigration status was under the care of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) during her hospitalization.

As reported by NBC News, the child had been hospitalized in a pediatric intensive care unit in El Paso, Texas, due to a pre-existing illness before being transferred from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to HHS custody in May.

Unfortunately, her health deteriorated last week, leading to her death on July 10 due to complications of her underlying disease and multi-organ failure. The girl's mother and brother were present at the time of her passing.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) was not responsible for the girl's day-to-day care when she died. The medical treatment provided during her time in ORR custody was based on the mother's preferences and the recommendations of the hospital's healthcare provider team.

The exact timing of her arrival at the border is unclear. However, Health and Human Services stated that she was referred to refugee officials in May while already receiving treatment at El Paso's Children Hospital for her illness.

HHS released a statement confirming the girl's death and expressing condolences to the family. The Office of Refugee Resettlement is working with them to provide support and assistance with necessary arrangements.

Migrants Teens Dying in the Border

The recent death of a Guatemalan teenager represents the fourth occurrence of a migrant child's death while under the care of HHS this year. It is important to note that some of these children had serious pre-existing conditions, including terminal illnesses.

According to CBS, one such case involved a 4-year-old Honduran girl who passed away in March after experiencing cardiac arrest while hospitalized in Michigan. Throughout her time in HHS custody, she had been in a medically fragile state, according to sources familiar with the situation and a congressional notification obtained by CBS News.

In May, HHS revealed the death of a 17-year-old Honduran boy who was residing in a shelter for unaccompanied minors in Florida. Officials stated that the death was likely a result of an epileptic seizure.

The following month, a 6-year-old child, who had been evacuated from Afghanistan due to the Taliban takeover in 2021, died while in HHS custody. This child had a terminal illness.

In addition to these deaths occurring in HHS custody, an 8-year-old migrant minor named Anadith Tanay Reyes Alvarez died while under Border Patrol custody in May.