An 8-year-old boy from Guatemala died in government custody early Tuesday. This is the second immigrant child to die in detention this month. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the boy, identified by the Guatemalan consul in Phoenix as Felipe Gomez Alonzo, died shortly after midnight. The boy showed “signs of potential illness” Monday and was taken with his father to a hospital in Alamogordo, New Mexico, CBP said. After he was release, the boy was returned to the hospital Monday evening and died hours later, CBP said. The official cause of death is not known, and in accordance with CBP policy, the agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility will conduct a review.
The CBP did not say when or where the father and son entered the U.S. or how long they were detained, saying only in its statement that the boy had been “previously apprehended” by its agents. CBP typically detains immigrants when they cross the border for short periods of time before releasing them or turning them over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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