Second Child’s Death Puts Stain on US Government

Second Child's Death Puts Stain on US Government

(UnitedVoice.com) – US Border Patrol is struggling under the weight of the thousands of migrants trying to enter the country every day at the Southern border. Since President Joe Biden took office, millions of undocumented immigrants have entered the country. Now that Title 42 has come to an end, the federal government is no longer rapidly deporting those who were entering during the national emergency.

Without the rapid deportation policy in place, Border Patrol facilities are quickly becoming overwhelmed. Other shelters around the nation are also having trouble with the influx of new people. A child has now died for the second time in as many weeks.

Girl Dies

On May 17, US Customs and Border Protection released a statement about the death of an 8-year-old girl who was in custody. The agency said the child “tragically passed away” after being held at the Harlingen Station in Texas. She was there with her family when she suddenly experienced a medical emergency.

Border Patrol agents quickly called for help. Emergency Medical Services transported the child to an area hospital, but doctors were unable to save her. The little girl was pronounced dead.

Honduran Consul José Leonardo Navas told reporters the child’s name was Anadith Tanay Reyes Alvarez. She traveled to America with her mother, father, and two older siblings. She had preexisting heart problems and underwent an operation three years ago in Panama, her father told the consul.

The Border Patrol’s internal affairs office is conducting an investigation. The Harlingen police were also notified.

Teen Dies

On May 10, Ángel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza died in Safety Harbor, Florida, after the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement placed him in a shelter run by the Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Children Services.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri revealed a case manager at the shelter uploaded the 17-year-old’s medical history into an online system after receiving an email from one of his cousins who said he had a seizure disorder. However, she didn’t read the information about the teenager and didn’t alert the staff that he had epilepsy. Officials at the facility found him unresponsive in bed, and he was later pronounced dead.

The sheriff said preliminary results of the autopsy indicate he likely had an epileptic seizure in his sleep. Gualtieri is now conducting an investigation into the teenager’s death.

While the sheriff reportedly said the department had no issues with the way the shelter was run, the state has refused to license the shelter because it houses migrants. It’s operating without any state oversight.

The children are the first to die during Biden’s administration.

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