A seven-year-old Guatemalan girl died in American custody after being detained by US border police in the state of New Mexico, The Washington Post reported on Thursday, 13 December.
The girl -- who illegally crossed the border from Mexico along with her father and dozens of others -- died of "dehydration and shock," the newspaper reported, citing the US Customs and Border Protection.
The child -- whom CBP said “reportedly had not eaten or consumed water for several days” -- began having seizures over eight hours after being detained, was flown to a hospital and died there, the Post said.
Donald Trump has made hard-line immigration policies a central plank of his presidency, drawing fire from critics who accuse him of demonising migrants for political gain.
He vowed to build a wall on the border with Mexico, deployed thousands of US troops there and separated more than 2,000 migrant children from their parents as part of a "zero tolerance" policy on illegal immigration.
(This story was auto-published from a syndicated feed. No part of the story has been edited by The Quint.)
(The Quint is available on Telegram. For handpicked stories every day, subscribe to us on Telegram)
We'll get through this! Meanwhile, here's all you need to know about the Coronavirus outbreak to keep yourself safe, informed, and updated.
Liked this story? We'll send you more. Subscribe to The Quint's newsletter and get selected stories delivered to your inbox every day. Click to get started.
The Quint is available on Telegram & WhatsApp too, click to join.