Fernando García
In light of the recent news regarding the tragic loss of a 15-year-old unaccompanied child from Guatemala who died while in the custody of the U.S. Department of Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), making this the fourth known child death this year under the Biden Administration, the Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR) expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the young child and calls for the immediate investment of welcoming infrastructure to prevent the loss of another innocent child.
The Border Network for Human Rights is outraged by the news of the death of another child while in U.S. custody. Our country’s leadership has failed once again to recognize the humanity of migrants, causing irreparable loss in the U.S.-Mexico border. These incidents are not isolated issues but are part of an aggravated systemic failure that disregards the rights and well-being of refugees and migrants. This, combined with the lack of accountability and oversight within agencies such as Border Patrol, OFO, CBP, ORR, HHS, and ICE, obscures the problems facing migrants until it is too late.
Today’s [July 11] report denotes that the young girl had severe pre-existing conditions and was receiving medical attention; however, this administration has not been transparent enough or demonstrated their commitment to providing unaccompanied minors with the proper and timely medical treatment, access to medication and/or hospitals, and sanitary conditions. Under President Biden, immigration enforcement agencies have continued to perpetuate physical and psychological abuse and stress.
As a nation, we cannot continue to accept migrant children’s deaths as a norm. We cannot let the inhumanity and immorality of our current immigration policies overrule our nation’s character. The BNHR urgently calls on the Biden Administration to invest in the creation of welcoming centers along the U.S.-Mexico border. These centers would be a step closer to restoring the dignity and humanity of our migrant and refugee children and families by providing them with the attentive and adequate medical care, housing, food, and other social and legal services they may require. The more time it takes to see welcoming centers and a true commitment for human rights protections by the Biden administration and Congress, the more answers they will have to provide as more migrant lives will continue to be at stake.
Fernando García, Executive Director of the Border Network for Human Rights (BNHR).
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