Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren suggested a migrant child in U.S. custody died because of the Trump administration’s “cruel treatment of immigrants,” but her tweet came days after an internal investigation found no wrongdoing.
Warren, a leading Democratic presidential candidate, posted a tweet on Christmas Day about Felipe Gómez Alonzo, an 8-year-old Guatemalan child who passed away from a bacterial infection days after entering into Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. However, her tweet came days after the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) determined that no staff misconduct led to his passing.
“One year ago today, Felipe Gómez Alonzo died in CBP custody. He was just eight years old,” Warren tweeted Wednesday. “This Christmas, I’m heartsick for all of the families who won’t be celebrating together today because of the Trump administration’s cruel treatment of immigrants and asylum-seekers.”
One year ago today, Felipe Gómez Alonzo died in CBP custody. He was just eight years old.
This Christmas, I’m heartsick for all of the families who won’t be celebrating together today because of the Trump administration’s cruel treatment of immigrants and asylum-seekers.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) December 25, 2019
Gómez Alonzo and his father entered into CBP custody in December 2018 near the El Paso, Texas, border. After being transported to a Border Patrol checkpoint in New Mexico, an agent noticed that he appeared ill. He was promptly transported to the nearest hospital to receive treatment. Despite Gómez Alonzo’s condition at first improving, his symptoms later worsened and he ultimately passed away in 2018. Doctors determined the cause was Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.
Asylum seekers wait for bottled water at an immigrant camp on Dec. 9, 2019 in Brownsville, Texas, across the river from the border town of Matamoros, Mexico. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
Gómez Alonzo’s mother said days after his passing that his father brought him along the perilous journey north because he believed his son would earn him easier passage into the U.S.
The boy’s death, which sparked immense outrage from critics of the Trump administration, prompted an internal investigation. DHS’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a comprehensive review of the matter and published its report on Dec. 20.
“The investigation found no misconduct or malfeasance by DHS personnel,” the official statement from the DHS watchdog read.
It’s not immediately clear if Warren was aware of the OIG report before issuing her tweet. The statement, nevertheless, was the latest of the senator’s longstanding criticism of the administration’s immigration agenda. The Massachusetts lawmaker touts one of the most progressive immigration platforms of all the Democratic presidential candidates. (RELATED: Critics Accused ICE Of Entrapping Students With A Fake University — But The Agency Is Releasing Undercover Footage)
Warren has pledged to place a moratorium on all deportations and decriminalize illegal immigration if elected to the presidency. She’s also open to spending taxpayer dollars to remove parts of the southern border wall the Trump administration built.
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