FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Saturday, May 20, 2023 

Media Contact: media@theyoungcenter.org 

Washington D.C.— New details regarding the preventable death of an 8-year-old girl in Border Patrol custody last week show that the child’s mother repeatedly asked agents to take her daughter to the hospital, but her pleas were ignored. According to AP News, the child had a history of heart problems and sickle cell anemia and was experiencing trouble breathing, difficulty walking, and pain in her bones after being held in custody for nine days. Despite her mother’s repeated attempts to get medical attention for her daughter, the little girl was left to suffer and eventually die while still in the custody of Border Patrol. 

Jennifer Nagda, Chief Programs Officer at the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, said: 

“There will never be a world where children are safe in jails. For years, immigrants seeking safety have been detained in what many migrants have termed ‘las hieleras’-- jail cells along the border known for their frigid temperatures, overcrowded spaces, and deeply inhumane conditions. That is where this little girl was held when she died.  

We are enraged that this administration has continued to turn its back on children and families seeking safety, rather than offer compassion and care. No parent should have to beg for their child to get basic medical attention and be forced to watch as their child’s health worsens to the point where they cannot be saved.   

We can and must meet people seeking safety with a humanitarian response. We can and must reorient our policies to recognize the humanity of all migrants. The Biden administration has the ability to establish welcoming centers at the border where families with children—and all asylum-seekers—can be processed safely by immigration officials while federally funded NGOs assist them with food, clothing, transportation, and proper medical care. The only way to stop these preventable deaths is to stop jailing families. To stop jailing children.” 

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The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights is a non-profit organization that protects and advances the rights and best interests of immigrant children and advocates for an immigration system that treats children as children first. For press inquiries, please contact Anabel Mendoza at media@theyoungcenter.org