A recent independent report reveals severe shortcomings within the U.S. Border Patrol's medical and custodial systems, directly contributing to the preventable death of an 8-year-old Panamanian girl in their custody. The report highlights a lack of protocols for assessing children with pre-existing conditions, ultimately failing Anadith Danay Reyes Alvarez, who suffered from a chronic heart condition and sickle cell anemia.
Anadith, who was with her family, passed away on May 17th in Harlingen, Texas, after nine days in custody. The report criticizes Border Patrol medical staff for neglecting to review the child's medical history, a critical oversight that proved fatal. This tragic incident underscores broader concerns regarding the agency's capacity to provide adequate care for vulnerable children.
Migrants wait in line near the border fence under the watch of the Texas National Guard while waiting to enter into El Paso, Texas, on May 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton, File)
According to the girl's mother, Mabel Alvarez Benedicks, she informed officials about her daughter's medical conditions during processing. However, this vital information was not relayed to staff at the family's subsequent holding facility. Six days later, Anadith tested positive for influenza and developed a high fever. While she received medication and was isolated with her family, her condition worsened over the next three days.
The report details how the healthcare provider failed to consult an on-call physician, even as Anadith experienced vomiting, stomach pain, bone pain, breathing difficulties, and an inability to walk. Despite her mother's pleas for hospitalization, the provider dismissed the need for a hospital transfer. Only after Anadith suffered a seizure and became unresponsive in the medical unit was she finally transported to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The independent monitor, tasked with enforcing the Flores settlement agreement, a measure designed to protect children in immigration custody, condemned the “poor clinical decision-making” and “sheer disregard for her life” that led to Anadith’s death. This tragic event marks the fourth child fatality in Border Patrol custody this year, raising serious questions about the agency's ability to fulfill its duty of care.
The report also mentions the deaths of a 15-year-old Guatemalan girl in July, a 17-year-old Honduran boy in May, and a 4-year-old Honduran child in March, all while in U.S. custody, further emphasizing the urgent need for systemic reform within the agency.
