The ongoing border crisis continues to take lives. U.S. Customs and Border Protection revealed on Wednesday a child in their custody had a medical emergency and later died after being taken to the hospital.
The girl was 8-years-old. Her death comes shortly after a 17-year-old migrant died while in the custody of U.S. Health and Human Services.
BREAKING: An 8-year-old migrant girl died today while in Border Patrol custody in the RGV. CBP says she suffered a medical emergency while at the Harlingen, TX BP station with her family, & was pronounced dead at hospital. Last week, a 17 y/o migrant died in HHS custody (seizure) pic.twitter.com/ibXXNwmTLb
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) May 18, 2023
The Los Angeles Times noted this incident appears to be the first death of a child in Border Patrol custody since 2019, "when the death of a 16-year-old Guatemalan boy led several politicians to decry the Trump administration’s immigration policies and vow to investigate."
The recent deaths relating to the crisis happened as the Biden administration has taken a victory lap because of the lack of an even bigger surge at the southern border when Title 42 expired last week.
"Much better than you all expected," President Joe Biden said in response to being asked about the situation at the border during the weekend.
The lack of a surge is in part due to Texas National Guardsmen and Highway Patrol troopers, deployed under Operation Lone Star, physically blocking illegal immigrants at popular crossing spots in El Paso and Brownsville, denying them the opportunity to turn themsleves in to Border Patrol. Tens of thousands of migrants are waiting in Mexico deciding what to do next, with many determined to get into the United States, one way or another.