Family sues US over 8-year-old’s death in custody after crossing the border
McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The Honduran family of an 8-year-old girl with a heart condition who died in U.S. custody after crossing the border in 2023 filed a lawsuit against the federal government on Friday.
Anadith Danay Reyes Alvarez chronic heart problems and sickle cell anemiaHe fell ill with flu-like symptoms and died after being detained for eight days at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility in Donna, then in Harlingen, Texas.
One internal CPB investigation It found that there had been failures to provide appropriate medical care and that medical staff had failed to review documentation provided by the mother explaining the girl’s vulnerable condition. While in custody, Anadith had a high fever of 104.9 F (40.5 C), as well as nausea, difficulty breathing, and pain.
Despite his mother’s insistence, the child was not taken to the hospital until his body was removed. relaxed in his mother’s arms. Mabel Alvarez Benedicks described her daughter’s death in an emotional interview with The Associated Press that week.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the case.
Friday’s wrongful death lawsuit tort claim It’s a claim made against the government last year but rejected in October. The lawsuit aims to compensate for the damage suffered by the family, but no specific monetary amount is requested.
The boy’s mother said he saw a psychiatrist regularly and took medication to help him sleep. Her father, Rossel Reyes Martinez, said their daughter’s death was a parent’s worst nightmare realized.
“That’s why we’re filing this lawsuit today in her memory, to make sure no other family has to go through the same pain we did,” her father said in a statement Thursday.
