A representative for an immigration lawyer’s association reportedly said that a toddler died shortly after leaving an ICE detention center in South Texas.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, a Houston-based immigration attorney said in a series of tweets on Tuesday night that a female child had died following a detainment at Dilley Family Detention Center in South Texas. The attorney, who said she was given her information from another attorney who is a friend of the child’s family, said she believed the girl had suffered a respiratory infection and may have had inadequate treatment while at the facility.
ICE posted a message on its official Twitter account saying that the reports were false.
“We are looking into the report of the death after custody, but without any specifics about who this was we are unable to provide anything further at this time,” the agency said in a subsequent statement obtained by the San Antonio Express-News.
ICE did not respond to inquiries from CrimeOnline for further clarification.
CrimeOnline has not been able to independently verify the reports that a child died during or following a detainment at Dilley.
Greg Chen, government relations director for American Immigration Lawyers Association, told the Dallas News that the child was a toddler and died shortly after leaving the detention center. He did not have any further specifics to share.
CrimeOnline contacted Melissa Turcios, the attorney that was the source of the information tweeted on Tuesday night. In an email response, Turcios reiterated that she is not an attorney for the family of the child, and that she “was simply hoping to connect the family with legal resources, as a friend.”
Turcios said she is working with a pro bono counsel to arrange for the family’s representation, and indicated she could share more information once the family had secured an attorney. She did not offer any further confirmation or specifics about the reported death.
This is a developing story. CrimeOnline will provide further updates once more information is available.
[Feature image: Asylum-seekers near San Ysidro port of entry in Tijuana, Mexico/Gregory Bull for Associated Press]
