Boy detained at US border dies

US Customs and Border Protection announced medical checks on all children in its custody following the death of an eight-yearold Guatemalan migrant -- the second child fatality in American detention this month. Guatemala called for an investigation into the boy’s death and some US lawmakers angrily denounced the Trump administration’s immigration policy.

The boy, identified by Texas congressman Joaquin Castro as Felipe Alonzo Gomez, had been transferred to a New Mexico medical center showing signs of sickness on Monday, the agency said Tuesday. Staff diagnosed him with a cold but later discovered a fever. He was released at midday, with prescriptions for ibuprofen and the antibiotic amoxicillin. Alonzo, who was with his apprehended father, was later transferred back to the hospital suffering from nausea and vomiting.

He died on Monday, just before midnight. The CBP said it had not established an official cause of death but would “ensure an independent and thorough review of the circumstances”. Late Tuesday, commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan announced the agency was “conducting secondary medical checks upon all children in CBP care and custody,” and “reviewing its policies with particular focus upon care and custody of children under 10.

“This is a tragic loss. On behalf of US Customs and Border Protection, our deepest sympathies go out to the family,” he added. McAleenan said the CBP was considering seeking medical support from other government agencies, among them the US Coast Guard and the Department of Defense.