Salud Ortiz Carbajal: “This week, I visited the Customs and Border Protection facilities where 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonso was held shortly…”

“This week, I visited the Customs and Border Protection facilities where 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonso was held shortly before he fell sick and tragically died on Christmas Eve. This was just 3 weeks after 7-year-old Jakelyn Caal died in custody nearby. I went to Alamogordo because I wanted to hear directly from CBP agents why these two children died and what changes are being made to ensure that not one more child dies while in United States custody. CBP agents told us that they needed more personnel, more technological support, better coordination between agencies, and improvements to facilities to accommodate the higher percentage of children and families seeking asylum. One checkpoint I visited didn't have a shower for migrants. They were transported an hour each way every 2 days for a shower. The other facility didn't even have potable water. The Border Patrol agents were also understandably frustrated that their online database did not synchronize with DHS systems, creating even more confusion when migrants were being moved or processed. Not once did the agents mention building a wall.…”