TEGUCIGALPA (AP) — The mother of a 17-year-old Honduran man who died in the custody of US immigration authorities said Saturday that her son had epilepsy but showed no signs of serious illness before he traveled to the United States.
The death of Ángel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza in the holding center in Safety Harbor, Florida, heightened concerns about the overwhelmed US immigration system as the administration of President Joe Biden works to end the restrictions on asylum known as Title 42.
His mother, Norma Saraí Espinoza Maradiaga, said her son had epilepsy since he was a child, but his seizures were brief and not serious.
He stated that Eduardo had suffered from the disease since he was 8 years old without posing any danger to him. The longest attack lasted less than a minute and seemed to affect him little, he added.
Espinoza Madariaga told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Friday that Ángel Eduardo left his hometown of Olanchito, Honduras, on April 25. Days later, he crossed the border between Mexico and the United States, and on May 5 he was referred to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which manages the longest-term facilities for minors who enter without a parent in US territory.
The mother pointed out that that same day she had spoken with her son for the last time.
“He told me that I was in the shelter, not to worry because I was in the best hands,” he added. “We only spoke for two minutes, I said goodbye to him and wished him the best.”
According to Espinoza Maradiaga, he found out about his son’s death, first from one of his friends at the shelter and then from a US official who confirmed what the friend had said.
“I want the true reason for my son’s death to be clarified,” he demanded. “No one tells me anything. The anguish is killing me,” she added. “They say that they are waiting for the results of the autopsy and they do not give me another answer.”
No information was given at this time about the causes of death, or that he suffered from any illness or was under medical treatment.
Ángel Eduardo studied until eighth grade before leaving school to work. He had recently been working as a mechanic’s assistant. Since he was 7 years old, he had excelled as a soccer player in Olanchito, in northern Honduras, his mother said.
The teenager was hoping to reunite with his father, who left for the United States years ago, and earn money to support his two younger brothers who were still in the Central American country, the woman added.
She had immigrated with her mother’s approval and her father’s financial backing to the United States, she said.
“Since he was 10 years old, he wanted to fulfill the American dream to see his dad and have a better life,” said the mother. “His idea was to help me; he told me that when he was in the United States he was going to change my life ”.
The Department of Health and Human Services extended its condolences in a statement Friday and said it was reviewing medical records and that a coroner was investigating the death.
Title 42 asylum restrictions expired Thursday at 10:59 p.m., and the Biden administration announced new measures that went into effect Friday for border crossers.
Tens of thousands of people tried to cross the border from Mexico to the United States weeks before the cancellation of Title 42, through which the US authorities expelled many people with the argument of preventing the spread of COVID-19, but granted waivers to others , including minors who crossed the border without being accompanied by one of their parents.
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first death of a migrant minor in the custody of federal authorities during the Biden administration. At least six migrant children have died in federal custody during the administration of former President Donald Trump, who at times detained thousands of children beyond the capacity of the system.
HHS operates long-term housing facilities to hold unaccompanied minors who have crossed the border until they can be placed with a sponsor. In general, HHS facilities have beds and other equipment, and have education and various activities for minors, unlike Border Patrol stations and detention centers, where detained migrants sometimes have to sleep in the cell floor.
Advocates opposed to detaining migrant children say HHS facilities are inadequate to detain minors for weeks or months, which is sometimes the case.
Currently more than 8,600 children are in HHS custody. The number could rise considerably in the coming weeks following the change in border policies as well as an increase in migration trends in the Western Hemisphere and the typical increase in border crossings during the spring and summer.
