Washington, DC—The deaths of two young migrant children and the life-threatening harm to an infant while crossing the Rio Grande River to enter the United States this week are more tragic reminders of the urgent need for new border policies that prioritize the safety of migrant children and families. The separate incidents in which a three-year-old boy and a five-year-old girl drowned, while a two-month-old baby was taken to a hospital in San Antonio in critical condition, underscore how a lack of humanitarian reception and care at the U.S.-Mexico border is deadly.
KIND President Wendy Young issued the following statement:
“The deaths of these young children and the grave harm suffered by a baby is heartbreaking beyond measure, and we feel deeply for these families. These deaths are the result of U.S. border policies that have forced families to attempt to reach safety between official ports of entry, which are still not fully open for processing of asylum seekers. Sadly, this tragedy is another indelible example of why we must transform our border reception system to prevent further death and harm to children. Practical and innovative solutions can be implemented right now to reduce the risk of catastrophes like these in the future, starting with restoring access to protection at ports of entry. One more death of a child crossing the border when it can be prevented is unconscionable.”
The Path Forward: Ensuring Humane and Orderly Processing at the U.S.-Mexico Border
KIND Blueprint: Concrete Steps to Protect Unaccompanied Children on the Move
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Media Contact: Megan McKenna, mmckenna@supportkind.org, 202-631-9990