A three-year-old migrant child died while being transported to Chicago, Illinois, aboard a bus sponsored by the State of Texas. The child died as the bus neared Salem, Illinois, late Thursday.
The child, believed to be from Venezuela, was transported from Brownsville, Texas, to Chicago with family members after being released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
According to a report by CBS, the child was taken to a hospital in Salem after suffering a medical emergency in Marion County. According to a statement by the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM), when the child presented with health concerns, the bus driver pulled over, and on-board security personnel called 9-1-1 for emergency assistance.
Bilingual security personnel translated information between the child’s parents and paramedics providing emergency care to the child. The child was transported to a local hospital and later pronounced deceased. According to TDEM, the migrant family on board the state-sponsored bus to Chicago had been processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Brownsville, Texas.
Once released to pursue asylum claims while inside the United States, the family unit voluntarily accepted transportation provided by the state to Chicago. Each passenger on the bus underwent a temperature check and was questioned about medical conditions that could require assistance. According to state officials, none of the passengers had a fever or other medical issues at embarkation.
In addition to details of the incident, TDEM issued the following statement:
Having been processed and released by the federal government into overwhelmed border towns, migrants willingly chose to go to Chicago having signed a voluntary consent waiver available in multiple languages upon boarding that they agreed on the destination. Each bus is stocked with food and water, which are distributed on board, and makes stops along the trip to refuel and switch drivers. Migrants are allowed to purchase any additional provisions or disembark at any of these stops.
According to the state, more than 30,000 migrants have been transported to sanctuary cities across the United States to alleviate the burden on border cities in Texas. The state has transported 4,900 of that total to Chicago.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.
