Death of 8-year-old girl in Border Patrol custody highlights challenges providing medical care
The Toronto Star
23-05-22 04:11
The recent deaths of an eight-year-old girl from Panama and a 17-year-old boy from Honduras, under U.S. government supervision, has reignited concerns over how equipped U.S. authorities are to handle medical emergencies suffered by migrants arriving in the country. The two deaths come as agencies struggle with massive overcrowding at facilities along the southern border. The surge in migrants, before pandemic-related asylum limits expired, has brought extraordinary pressure. The Border Patrol has taken an average of 10,100 people into custody a day during May compared to a daily average of 5,200 in March. The Border Patrol had 28,717 people in its custody on May 10, double from two weeks earlier, according to a court filing. CBP acting commissioner Troy Miller has said immediate action will be taken to review and, where needed, strengthen practices concerning medical treatment. At least six children died during a roughly year-long period from 2018 to 2019 in either Border Patrol or Health and Human Services custody, which have led to wider challenges surrounding human rights.