The parents of an eight-year-old girl who died while in border patrol custody are calling for justice.
Anadith Danay Reyes Álvarez died Wednesday after suffering a “medical emergency." Originally born to Honduran parents in Panama, Reyes Álvarez was also born with congenital heart disease and sickle cell anemia. She and her family were being detained in Harlingen, Texas near the Mexican border at the time of her death.
Reyes Álvarez had “not been feeling well” during their travels and had been diagnosed with the flu. Her mother had reported taken her to authorities several times with complaints of “shortness of breath" and backpains. When she finally saw medical staff, they sent her to the hospital, where she died in the waiting room, according to family members.
Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that an investigation is currently being conducted, as is standard in cases involving deaths. The Honduran Foreign Ministry has also called for an autopsy and a full report into the case.
In an emotional interview with Noticias Telemundo, Reyes Álvarez's parents spoke out for the first time since her death, directly levying blame against CBP officials for how they addressed her condition.
“They could have done something for my daughter if they had called the ambulance sooner,” Mabel Álvarez said. “My daughter would still be alive.”
Rossel Reyes said that they had provided documents of his daughter's condition to authorities, and that he had tried multiple times to explain her symptoms before she was sent for treatment. He noted that she was "in a lot of pain, a lot of pain." Álvarez said that her daughter “could not breathe from her nose or mouth," and that she eventually lost consciousness and “died in my arms.”
Álvarez said that her daughter was a “friendly, loving” girl who wanted to help others with her conditions when she grew up.
"They never listened to me. I begged them to call an ambulance," Álvarez said, continuing, "My daughter died there in the station. ... My daughter is a human being, they had to take care of her."
