After death of 2 children, US orders medical checks on migrant kids

The US Customs and Border Protection have officially ordered checks on every child in its custody after two Guatemalan children died this month.

The US Customs and Border Protection in a statement said that it needs help of other government agencies to provide health care.

The agency “is considering options for surge medical assistance” from the Coast Guard and may request help from the US Department of Health and Human Services, and other relevant agencies.

Only yesterday, a second migrant child from Guatemala reportedly died while in custody of the United States border agents.

Reports say the 8-year-old boy died shortly after midnight on Tuesday according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

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Concerned authorities said the boy and his father entered the United States via El Paso, Texas, on Dec. 18 and were transferred to a border patrol station in Alamogordo on Dec. 23.

After the victim and his father were detained, the boy began vomiting and was transferred to a hospital for treatment.

He died there shortly after midnight, CBP said, adding that the official cause of death is not known.

The boy’s death followed the death in early December of 7-year-old Jakelin Caal, also from Guatemala. She died after being detained along with her father by U.S. border agents in a remote part of New Mexico.

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