The internal watchdog of the Department of Homeland Security found no wrongdoing from the officers on duty when two migrant children died in custody last year.
In December 2018, two young migrants died in Border Patrol custody after falling ill while traveling from Central America to the United States. Jakelin Caal Maquin, 7, died of a bacterial infection on Dec. 7, 2018, and Felipe Alonzo-Gomez, 8, died after presenting influenza symptoms, including a 103-degree fever.
The inspector general of the department found that Border Patrol agents properly conducted the medical checks required at the time and were not responsible for the severity of the children’s illnesses. Since their deaths, the department increased the number of medical check-ins required, but the inspector found that dangerous levels of overcrowding in the early months of 2019 made it nearly impossible to maintain.
The department issued a statement about the findings and explained that it is still upset about the children’s deaths, even though the proper steps were followed while they were in custody.
“We are still saddened by the tragic loss of these young lives, and we continue to bolster medical screenings and care at DHS facilities on the border,” a spokeswoman told the Associated Press. “The men and women of Border Patrol are committed to the highest standards of professionalism and care.”
The record-breaking flow of migrants across the southern border has slowed greatly since President Trump ordered Mexico to start stopping Central American migrants at its southern border instead of allowing them to continue north. He also required that migrants wait in Mexico for asylum instead of entering the U.S.
