8-Year-Old Boy Becomes Second Guatemalan Child To Die In US Border Officials’ Custody In Less Than A Month

US Customs and Border Protection has ordered immediate medical checks of every child in its custody after a second Guatemalan child, identified as eight-year-old Felipe Gómez Alonzo, died in custody Monday (Dec 24) night, CNN has reported.

Accompanied by his father, Felipe travelled a gruelling 2,000 miles journey from his home in Guatemala to reach the US border, where the pair was detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents on 18 December.

“This is a tragic loss. On behalf of US Customs and Border Protection, our deepest sympathies go out to the family,” CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said in a condolence statement.

The exact reason that caused Felipe’s death is yet to be ascertained. On Monday afternoon (24 December), the child was taken to a New Mexico hospital, diagnosed with a cold and fever. When doctors observed a fever, but was released with a prescription for antibiotics and ibuprofen and taken back to the detention facility.

According to CBP, the child began vomiting at around 7 pm but his father “declined further medical assistance”. The boy was later rushed to the hospital and died just before midnight on Monday (24 December).

Earlier this month, the death of a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl, Jakelin Caal Maquin, also died in the agency’s custody, sparking huge uproar over the Trump administration’s hawkish position on immigration policies.

The girl was in a state of serious dehydration shortly after being detained with her father along with a group of migrants who attempted to cross the US border.

Guatemala’s government has demanded a clear investigation into the matter.

US House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has announced that Congress will investigate border deaths of children and said Democrats want the Homeland Security Department's inspector general to investigate Felipe’s death.