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U.S. NEWS Saturday 30 March 2019
Autopsy: Migrant child who died in U.S. custody had infection

By NOMAAN MERCHANT little system was shutting to apprehend and care for
Associated Press down." them. The agency expand-
HOUSTON (AP) — A 7-year- Dr. Matthew Gartland, a ed medical screenings for
old girl from Guatemala pediatrician and member all children after the death
died of a bacterial infec- of the advocacy group of a second child, Felipe
tion while detained by the Physicians for Human Gomez Alonzo.
U.S. Border Patrol, accord- Rights, said that while it The Border Patrol said this
ing to an autopsy released was difficult to determine week that it would release
Friday, in a case that drew whether more rapid treat- families immediately in-
worldwide attention to the ment would have saved stead of referring them
plight of migrant families at Jakelin's life, "what we can to processing, a step the
the southern U.S. border. say is immigrant children agency said was necessary
Jakelin Caal Maquin died should receive timely care, to relieve overcrowding in
Dec. 8, just over a day af- including emergency care, its facilities.
ter she was apprehended by pediatricians." CBP declined Friday to
by Border Patrol agents Jakelin was not hospital- comment on the autopsy
with her father after enter- ized until 12 hours after she report. Commissioner Kevin
ing the U.S. illegally. Jakelin and her father were appre- McAleenan previously said
was one of two children to hended, according to U.S. in a statement that the In this Dec. 15, 2018, file photo, Annunciation House director
die in Border Patrol custody Customs and Border Pro- agents who were involved Ruben Garcia answers questions from the media after reading
in December, raising ques- tection. "are deeply affected and a statement from the family of Jakelin Caal Maquin, pictured at
left, during a press briefing at Casa Vides in downtown El Paso,
tions about the agency's CBP said Jakelin and her empathize with the father Texas.
ability to care for families. her father, Nery Gilberto over the loss of his daugh- Associated Press
The report from the medi- Caal Cuz, were in a group ter."
cal examiner in El Paso, of 163 migrants who were "We cannot stress enough in crowded transportation, eas without food, water
Texas, says traces of strep- apprehended at about the dangers posed by or in the natural elements and other supplies," McA-
tococcus bacteria were 9:15 p.m. Dec. 6 in a re- traveling long distances, through remote desert ar- leenan said.q
found in Jakelin's lungs, mote part of New Mexico.
adrenal gland, liver, and The father signed an Eng-
spleen. The autopsy says lish-language form stating
she faced a "rapidly pro- Jakelin was in good health,
gressive infection" that led CBP said, but it remains un-
to sepsis and the failure of clear whether he under-
multiple organs. stood what the form said.
The medical examiner did Jakelin and her father
not determine which form boarded a bus at about
of streptococcus bacteria 4:30 a.m. Dec. 7 from the
Jakelin contracted. Antelope Wells port of en-
"It's a death that could try for the Lordsburg station.
have been preventable," According to a CBP state-
said Dr. Colleen Kraft, a ment, Jakelin's father re-
past president of the Ameri- ported just before the bus
can Academy of Pediatrics left at 5 a.m. that she was
who spoke to The Associ- vomiting.
ated Press after reviewing The bus arrived in Lordsburg
the report. about 90 minutes later,
Kraft said the type of in- CBP said. By then, Jakelin's
fection Jakelin had would temperature had reached
have likely caused initial 105.7 degrees Fahrenheit
symptoms that a medical (40.9 degrees Celsius). An
professional would have emergency medical tech-
caught, like an elevated nician had to revive her.
heartbeat, respiratory rate, She was flown to a hospital
or problems with blood cir- in El Paso, where she died
culation. the next day .
"She should have been CBP says large groups of
taken to the hospital right migrants are increasingly
away," Kraft said, adding heading to remote areas
that "you had somebody of the border such as rural
who didn't know to look for New Mexico, where it has
those subtle signs that her very limited facilities or staff