A Second Immigrant Has Died In US Custody Shortly After Crossing The Border

A 40-year-old Honduran woman is the second person to die shortly after crossing the border in recent days.

A 40-year-old Honduran woman died in US custody on Monday shortly after crossing the Texas border and collapsing inside a Border Patrol station.

The woman, who was not identified, is the second person to die shortly after crossing the border in recent days and third fatality after being held in US custody since Saturday.

The woman, who crossed the border without authorization in Eagle Pass, Texas, at about 6:20 a.m., collapsed about 25 minutes later at the Eagle Pass South Station. In a statement, Border Patrol said agents and officers administered medical care until emergency medical services arrived at 6:55 a.m. She was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

"This tragedy marks the second time in less than 36 hours that a person has died immediately following their perilous migration from their home in Central America, through Mexico and across our Southwest border,” said John Sanders, acting CBP commissioner.

CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility has launched a review into her death.

On Sunday a 33-year-old Salvadoran man also died shortly after being apprehended near the border in Roma, Texas. CBP said he was arrested at about 12:10 p.m.; Border Patrol agents called EMS after he started having an apparent seizure at 12:22 p.m.

An EMT-certified Border Patrol agent started emergency medical care until EMS arrived at 12:29 p.m. The unidentified man was transported to a local hospital at 12:45 p.m. where he was pronounced dead.

The day before, on Saturday, a transgender woman from El Salvador who was seeking asylum died in a hospital about four days after being released from ICE custody. Johana Medina Leon, 25, had been detained by ICE for seven weeks prior to being released on May 28, the same day she was taken to a hospital after complaining of chest pains.

Because Medina was released from ICE custody the same day she was sent to the hospital, her death is not considered in-custody.

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