Guatemalan boy becomes second child to die in US custody in December

FILE PHOTO: A logo patch is shown on the uniform of a U.S. Border Patrol agent near the international border between Mexico and the United States south of San Diego, California - REUTERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters): An 8-year-old Guatemalan migrant boy died early on Christmas Day after being detained by US border agents, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said, the second migrant child to die in US detention this month.

The boy and his father were in CBP custody on Monday when a Border Patrol agent noticed the child showing signs of illness, CBP said in a statement. The father and son were taken to the Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center in Alamogordo, New Mexico, where the boy was diagnosed with a common cold and fever, and eventually released by hospital staff.

But later that evening, the boy began vomiting and was transferred back to the hospital. He died there early on Tuesday, CBP said, adding that the official cause of death was not known.

The father and son were not identified, and the agency said it would release more details “as available and appropriate.” Guatemalan officials have been notified of the death, CBP said.

The boy’s death followed the death in early December of 7-year-old Jakelin Caal, also from Guatemala. She died after being detained along with her father by US border agents in a remote part of New Mexico. After the second death, the CPB announced that it was developing several policy changes, CNN reported early on Wednesday.

It will conduct secondary medical checks on all children in its custody, with a focus on children under 10, CNN reported. The agency will also work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to improve custody options, such as better transportation to Family Residential Centers and supervised release, and working with non-governmental agencies for housing.

No immediate comment was available from CPB officials.