Unaccompanied migrant child dies while in custody of US
An unaccompanied migrant child died while in the custody of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the agency said in a statement obtained by reporters.
The HHS said on Friday that they were “deeply saddened by this tragic loss and our hearts go out to the family, with whom we are in touch,” according to NBC News.
The HHS did not provide further details about the child including how or where they died in the statement but indicated they would conduct a medical examiner investigation.
Due to privacy and safety reasons, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), a division of HHS, could not share other information on cases of children in their care.
However, Eduardo Reina, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Honduras tweeted that the child was a 17-year-old Honduran minor.
The Independent has reached out to the HHS for comment.
The tragic death comes as the US is adjusting to an influx of asylum seekers at the southern border due to the end of Title 42- a pandemic-era policy that allowed authorities to turn away migrants for health reasons.
Hundreds of thousands of people have arrived at the US border this past week, hoping to cross into the US. The surge overwhelmed border cities and towns like El Paso and Brownsville, Texas.
Is it unclear where the minor died or if they had arrived in the US within the last week.
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