Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García Condemns Series of Migrant Children Deaths at the Border, Calls for Answers
Washington, DC– Today, Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04) joined Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus at a press conference to denounce the inhumane treatment that has led to the death of another child under custody of the Department of Homeland Security. The latest victim, a 16-year-old Guatemalan immigrant, had been detained for seven days in Weslaco, Texas. Congressman García issued the following statement:
"Another child is death while in the custody of the Trump Administration: Carlos Gregorio Hernández Vásquez. As a father and an immigrant, I am outraged at the brutal treatment of immigrants at the border. This is the fifth child to die in just five months.
"The system is clearly broken, and we see no visible progress on how this Administration is dealing with the humanitarian crisis at the border.
"Migrants are escaping some of the poorest and most violent countries in Central America, where political and economic turmoil threaten their lives, only to have their children die once they arrive here.
"The conditions of detention centers are unacceptable and inhumane. Border Patrol facilities fail to provide adequate health services and today we learned that lifesaving medication for conditions such as asthma and seizures are routinely confiscated from the children in detention centers.
"This deadly treatment of migrants is un-American. We cannot allow the Trump Administration to dismiss these deaths as the new normal. This is an intentional strategy that Attorney General Sessions introduced, explaining he wanted the family separation policy to serve as a deterrent to other immigrants considering crossing the border.
" I have joined my colleagues of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in calling for a Congressional and Department of Justice investigation on the death of migrant children over the last 6 months. In addition, in the coming days, we will introduce legislation to address this pattern of neglect that is costing human lives."
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