8-year-old sought help 3 times on day she died, immigration officials say

The mother of an 8-year-old migrant child who died last week after experiencing a medical emergency at a border station in Harlingen, Texas, said her requests to call an ambulance for her ailing daughter were denied, reports Valerie Gonzalez for the Associated Press. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection statement updated yesterday confirms that the mother requested medical aid at least three times on the day the girl died.

"[My daughter] cried and begged for her life and they ignored her," Mabel Alvarez Benedicks said. "They didn’t do anything for her."  

The CBP statement starts as follows:

"CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) is investigating the tragic death of an eight-year-old child in U.S. Border Patrol Custody which occurred on May 17, 2023, in Harlingen, TX. Consistent with agency policy and CBP’s commitment to transparency and accountability, we are sharing information about this incident as quickly as possible. CBP OPR will continue to review this matter as thoroughly and expeditiously as possible and CBP anticipates releasing additional information in the coming days. Information below is based on an initial review of records and video by CBP’s OPR and will be subject to verification as part of the investigative process."

KJ