Second child Felipe Alonzo-Gomez dies in US custody
Customs and Border Protection announces changes after second child dies in custody
The final days of Felipe Alonzo-Gomez, the 8-year-old migrant who died in US custody
An 8-year-old Guatemalan boy died of unknown causes in custody minutes before midnight on Christmas Eve in New Mexico, the agency said in a statement Tuesday.
After the 8-year-old boy’s death, the agency said in a statement late Tuesday that Border Patrol would now conduct “secondary medical checks” on all children in custody, with a focus on children under the age of 10. It was not clear from the statement how and where those checks would be conducted.
It is considering requesting additional medical assistance from other agencies — including Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense — and coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the numbers of children in custody, the statement said.
The agency said it is also reviewing how it holds immigrants in custody so it can relieve problems with capacity in its centers in the El Paso, Texas, area.
With border crossings surging, CBP processes thousands of children — both alone and with their parents — every month.
The federal government is currently partially shut down because of a dispute between President Donald Trump and Congress over his demand for a border wall.
After the 8-year-old boy’s death, the agency said in a statement late Tuesday that Border Patrol would now conduct “secondary medical checks” on all children in custody, with a focus on children under the age of 10. It was not clear from the statement how and where those checks would be conducted.
It is considering requesting additional medical assistance from other agencies — including Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense — and coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the numbers of children in custody, the statement said.
The agency said it is also reviewing how it holds immigrants in custody so it can relieve problems with capacity in its centers in the El Paso, Texas, area.
With border crossings surging, CBP processes thousands of children — both alone and with their parents — every month.
The federal government is currently partially shut down because of a dispute between President Donald Trump and Congress over his demand for a border wall.
Sadly, cruel Trump dug in on the issue Tuesday, telling reporters that the U.S. must have "a wall, a fence, whatever they'd like to call it."
He also insisted that the wall — through renovations and new contracts — is actually already scheduled to be built and refurbished*. He claimed that 115 miles of wall was set to be constructed in Texas, and that he would visit the border at the end of January for a groundbreaking ceremony.
Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, identified the boy who died on Christmas Eve as Felipe Alonzo-Gomez.
He also insisted that the wall — through renovations and new contracts — is actually already scheduled to be built and refurbished*. He claimed that 115 miles of wall was set to be constructed in Texas, and that he would visit the border at the end of January for a groundbreaking ceremony.
Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, identified the boy who died on Christmas Eve as Felipe Alonzo-Gomez.
He was first taken into custody with his father 3 miles outside of El Paso on Dec. 18, according to the CBP (US Customs and Border Patrol) statement, which included a timeline of the child’s last day in custody.
Castro, the incoming chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, credited CBP for its timely public notification but also blamed the Trump administration's broader immigration policy for putting migrants in harm's way.
"The Administration’s policy of turning people away from legal ports of entry, otherwise known as metering, is putting families and children in great danger," Castro said in a statement.
Castro, the incoming chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, credited CBP for its timely public notification but also blamed the Trump administration's broader immigration policy for putting migrants in harm's way.
"The Administration’s policy of turning people away from legal ports of entry, otherwise known as metering, is putting families and children in great danger," Castro said in a statement.
*Any contractor who works on this wall is stupid, without having the Congressional approval for funding of the construction.
Labels: NBCNews, Rachel Elbaum
posted by Juliana L'Heureux | 4:55 AM
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