8-year-old migrant girl dies in custody of Border Patrol

WASHINGTON (TND) — An 8-year-old child died while in Border Patrol custody on Wednesday, according to reports.

The Los Angeles Times reported the child -- a girl -- died at a Texas hospital.

The media outlet noted thatU.S. Customs and Border Protection said the "child and her family were in custody at the Harlingen Station where she experienced a medical emergency. Emergency Medical Services were called to the station and transported her to the local hospital where she was pronounced dead.”

The girl's death is under investigation, according to the publication.

The news comes less than a week after Honduras Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduardo Enrique Reina said a 17-year-old migrant child died in U.S. custody. On May 11, Reina said the teenager died at a shelter in Florida.

The Government of the President @XiomaraCastroZ regrets and offers its condolences for the death of the 17-year-old Honduran minor Ángel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza, which occurred in a shelter located in Safety Harbor, Florida, USA," Reina posted on Twitter. "The Government of Honduras, through the Embassy in Washington, is in contact with the family and has requested that ORR and HHS carry out an exhaustive investigation of the case to clarify this fact and, if there is any responsibility, apply the full weight of the law."

The girl's death followsthe expiration of the Title 42 border policy, a pandemic-era public health rule that started in March 2020 and ended at midnight on Thursday.

Title 42 allowed the U.S. government to quickly expel people who had recently been in a country where a communicable disease was present, as well aslimited migration into the nation.

The same day the child's death was reported,Customs and Border Patrol Acting Commissioner Troy A. Miller said the agency had "surged resources, technology, and personnel to safely and orderly manage challenges along the southern border – while at the same time, maintaining a persistent focus on our other missions to ensure national and economic security."

Since Title 42 expired, officials have said the number of migrants encountered at the southern border has dropped -- but a high number of migrants remain in U.S. custody.

The National Desk's Kristine Frazao recently reported that there has also been significant overcrowding at processing centers.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.