CHIRLA condemns one more death at the hands of CBP and ICE and calls on Congress to investigate and hold agencies accountable.
Los Angeles, CA — The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), the largest immigrant rights organization in California, mourned the death of 7-year old Guatemalan girl while in the custody of Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and called on Congress to investigate ICE and CBP and hold the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees these agencies, accountable for the latest in a series of deaths and abuses that have gone unpunished for too long.
The following are comments for Angelica Salas, Executive Director for CHIRLA.
“We mourn the loss of a girl who had a history, family, dreams, and aspirations. CBP is ultimately responsible for this death and must explain itself thoroughly. We demand an investigation of this tragedy, the latest in a string of callous and inhumane acts led by the Trump Administration against immigrants.
Migrant families are seeking refuge in our country, not a coffin.
Since March 2010, 74 people have died while in the custody of CBP. This horrific fact, in addition to the numerous reports of sexual assaults against minors while in ICE detention centers, should remind us the Trump Administration waived criminal background checks for personnel overseeing these families.
DHS, ICE and CBP have demonstrated time and time again they are incapable of guarding the safety, security, and well being of migrant families and therefore should release them to the community where they belong while their cases are reviewed in court.”
