8-year-old girl dies in U.S. Border Patrol custody in Texas

 

An 8-year-old girl, Anadith Reyes, died on Wednesday after a medical emergency while in U.S. Border Patrol custody in Harlingen, Texas. Anadith, along with her parents and two siblings, had recently crossed the border from Mexico, seeking medical treatment for her heart condition. Born in Panama to Honduran parents, Anadith's family had hoped that the U.S. would offer better opportunities for her care. Her aunt, Lorna Santos, described her as a "happy girl" who had been unwell in recent days and tested positive for the flu.

According to Santos, Anadith had complained of pain in her back and shortness of breath on the morning of her death. After her mother took her to be checked by medical personnel at the Border Patrol facility, the girl was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Santos expressed frustration that Anadith had been detained for several days despite her medical condition. She questioned why authorities did not provide adequate care, noting that Anadith had been checked out by medical personnel multiple times while in custody.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed the incident and stated that Emergency Medical Services were called, and the girl was transported to the hospital. The agency said the Office of Professional Responsibility would investigate the death, as is standard procedure in such cases. CBP also informed the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and the Harlingen Police Department about the incident.

Anadith’s tragic death comes just days after another migrant, a 17-year-old from Honduras named Ángel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza, died in a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services facility in Florida. The Honduran government has called for a full investigation into both deaths.

The incident occurs amid ongoing concerns over border security and migrant treatment. While the number of daily migrant encounters has dropped since the lifting of Title 42 on May 12, the situation remains complex. Blas Nuñez-Neto, assistant secretary of homeland security, reported that Border Patrol now encounters about 4,400 migrants daily, down from over 10,000 prior to the policy change. Despite the decrease, migrants continue to seek refuge, primarily from countries like Mexico, Colombia, and Guatemala.