An 8-year-old Girl Died in Border Patrol Custody in Harlingen

An 8-year-old girl died Wednesday while in Border Patrol custody in Harlingen, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials told Border Report.

“Today, an eight-year-old girl tragically passed away while in U.S. Border Patrol custody in Harlingen, Texas. 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,” CBP officials said.

The Office of Professional Responsibility is conducting an investigation. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General and the Harlingen Police Department also have been informed.

The death comes less than a week after the lifting of Title 42, the pandemic-era border restrictions, which prevented migrants from claiming asylum at the border. In the weeks preceding the lifting last Thursday night, thousands of asylum seekers crossed from Mexico into the Rio Grande Valley.