An unaccompanied migrant child died while in the custody of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the White House confirmed on Friday.
In a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration was “aware of the tragic loss” and that President Joe Biden had been briefed on it.
“There is a medical investigation that was opened on May 10,” Ms Jean-Pierre said.
HHS said in a statement that it was “deeply saddened by this tragic loss and our hearts go out to the family, with whom we are in touch,” according to NBC News.
The HHS did not provide further details about the child including how or where they died in the statement but indicated that the department would conduct a medical examiner investigation.
Due to privacy and safety reasons, the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), a division of HHS, could not share other information on cases of children in their care.
However, Eduardo Reina, the minister of foreign affairs of Honduras, tweeted that the child was a 17-year-old Honduran minor who died while in a shelter in Florida.
The Independent has reached out to HHS for comment.
The tragic death comes as the US is adjusting to an influx of asylum seekers at the southern border due to the end of Title 42 – a pandemic-era policy that allowed authorities to turn away migrants for health reasons during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hundreds of thousands of people have arrived at the US border this past week, hoping to cross into the US. The surge overwhelmed border cities and towns like El Paso and Brownsville, Texas.
The ORR is responsible for housing and caring for migrant children who arrive at the border without a legal guardian. According to federal law, border officials must transfer unaccompanied minors to ORR within 72 hours.
