Afghan Evacuee Brought To U.S. Died Last Week In Federal Custody!

Hundreds of Afghan children arrived in the U.S. last 2021 and the 6-year-old boy who died is one of them. They were evacuated without their parents together with Afghan families and adults whose life is at risk. Other parents of Afghan evacuees did not manage to get on the U.S. evacuation flight and other parents had been killed.

These children were placed in the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement‘s custody because they don’t have legal guardians or parents.

HHS confirmed on Thursday that the child died from a brain disease or severe encephalopathy. The boy was transferred to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and subsequently transferred to the HSC Pediatric Center in Washington, D.C.

Regrettably, the death of this Afghan boy adds to the toll of unaccompanied children who have passed away in HHS custody this year. In March, a 4-year-old girl from Honduras died in Michigan after suffering cardiac arrest.

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Afghan Evacuees

In May, a 17-year-old Honduran boy passed away in an HHS shelter for unaccompanied minors in Florida, likely due to an epileptic seizure. Additionally, 8-year-old Anadith Tanay Reyes Alvarez died in U.S. Border Patrol custody, sparking an ongoing federal investigation into her treatment and the actions of Customs and Border Protection officials.

HHS is responsible for housing unaccompanied minors without legal immigration status in the U.S. Currently, the agency is accommodating 5,922 unaccompanied minors, primarily Central American teenagers fleeing poverty and violence.

Afghan children, however, have faced prolonged stays in shelters and foster homes, as their family members have either been killed or are unable to join them in the U.S. The Biden administration has prioritized the resettlement of Afghan refugees with children, acknowledging the unique challenges they face.

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