Aunt says border officials knew of girl's condition before her death in custody
An eight-year-old girl who died in patrol custody while crossing the US-Mexico border with her family had heart problems, her heartbroken aunt has said.
Anadith Tanay Reyes Alvarez died on Wednesday, May 17, after suffering a "medical emergency" while in US Border Patrol custody in Texas.
Emergency services were called who took her to hospital, where she was pronounced dead, an autopsy has been ordered.
Her father spoke with Honduran Consul José Leonardo Navas, who is based in McAllen, Texas. Anadith is from Panama, though her parents are from Honduras.
She was travelling with her father, mother and two older siblings. Her father told Mr Leonardo Navas that Anadith was born with heart problems and underwent surgery three years ago in Panama.
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Anadith Tanay Reyes Alvarez, 8, died in US Border Patrol custody (telemundo.com)Anadith's aunt, Lorna Santos, spoke to Noticias Telemundo, saying the family had informed immigration authorities about Anadith's heart condition. She's now calling for justice.
"What I wonder is why they kept her there for several days, knowing what the girl's problem was," she said.
Anadith arrived in the US on May 7 with her parents and siblings - a 14-year-old sister and 12-year-old brother, according to Lorna, who lives in New York.
She said the family's plan was to "come to the United States" so they could "continue treatment with the girl"
Lorna Santos, the girl's aunt lives in New York (telemundo.com)Another aunt, in the coastal town of Bajamar, Honduras, said it's likely Anadith's health deteriorated during the journey to the US.
"She had a heart condition and they operated on her," she said.
"Maybe she and the girl couldn't stand anything, maybe a lot of walking hurt her. That's what I think it is," aunt Elena Estrada told Telemundo News.
"It's painful, befcause she's a girl who still had life to go on."
The family are now reportedly trying to have her body sent to New York for burial.
Lorna said: "Let's hope... they help her so that the little body comes here, to bury it."
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Anadith was from Panama, though her parents were from Homduras (telemundo.com)
Anadith's parents reportedly told immigration officials their daughter had heart problems (telemundo.com)A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson said at the time: "Emergency Medical Services were called to the station and transported her to the local hospital where she was pronounced dead."
CBP's internal affairs office will reportedly be investigating the death, with the Homeland Security Department's inspector general and Harlingen police also having been notified.
The site of the custody centre, the city of Harlingen, lies in the Rio Grande Valley, which is one of the busiest corridors for migrant crossings.
The US has struggled with huge numbers of people trying to cross the border in recent weeks in anticipation of the end of Title 42.
Title 42 was a Covid related restriction which allowed US authorities to quickly expel migrants at the border - in an effort to help contain the spread of Covid by reducing numbers of people in Border Patrol custody.
She was being held in a facility in Harlingen, Texas (AFP via Getty Images)Last week saw Border Patrol releasing migrants in the US without notices to appear in immigration court/ Instead they were direct to report to an immigration office within 60 days.
It's a move which spares Border Patrol agents from carrying out time-consuming processing duties, in turn allowing them to open up space in holding facilities faster.
During the Trump presidency, the deaths of children in US custody became controversial talking points - with many questioning the administration's efforts to protect the most vulnerable migrants at a time when the US was seeing more and more families with children attempting to cross the border.
At least six children died during a roughly year-long period from 2018 to 2019 - they were either held in Border Patrol of Health and Human Services custody.
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