A 17-year-old migrant from Honduras, identified as Ángel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza, died while in the care of the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Refugee Resettlement (HHS ORR). This marks the first reported death of an unaccompanied minor in US custody since President Joe Biden took office. Espinoza was initially placed at Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services in Safety Harbor, Florida on May 5th.
He was taken to Mease Countryside Hospital after falling ill and pronounced dead an hour later despite resuscitation attempts. The cause of his death is currently unknown, with a medical examiner's investigation ongoing. HHS has acknowledged the incident but provided limited information about the circumstances surrounding it.
In response to this tragedy, Enrique Reina, Honduran Secretary of Foreign Affairs expressed his condolences via Twitter: "Our deepest sympathies go out to Ángel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza's family." He also stated that both countries are working together to investigate this matter further.
The U.S government has requested that HHS and ORR carry out an exhaustive investigation into this case for clarity and full accountability if anyone is found responsible. As of Wednesday, there were 8,681 unaccompanied children under HHS custody due to daily fluctuations reaching over 14,000 during last year's surge.
This unfortunate event coincides with Title 42 - a pandemic-era immigration policy - officially expiring on Thursday midnight. Border Patrol centers are bracing for even more overcrowding as doctors warn against preventable deaths like two previous cases involving migrant children.
Children held by ORR have access to health care services alongside legal assistance such as mental health counseling support while they await placement with sponsors within the United States or until turning eighteen years old. Amidst the expiration of Title 42, the United Kingdom is implementing new asylum and deportation policies to deter illegal migration.
This marks the first unaccompanied child migrant death reported by HHS since 2019 when seven migrant children died in US custody within a ten month period. The U.S Department of Health and Human Services will continue its investigation into Espinoza's health care records alongside a medical examiner's review for determining his cause of death.