Migrant teen from Honduras dies in custody of Florida facility sheltering unaccompanied minors for H

[Judi Lynn]

Ángel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza, 17, was taken to a local hospital, where he died.

May 12, 2023, 4:31 PM CDT
By Laura Strickler

A 17-year-old migrant boy from Honduras died in the custody of a Florida facility that was sheltering unaccompanied minors for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement has died, according to a tweet from the Honduran government and an HHS statement.

The boy was named Ángel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza, the Honduran government said. Espinoza entered HHS care on May 5 and received a clean bill of health, according to a person familiar with the matter. Then on the morning of May 10 he was taken to a nearby hospital where he died, the person familiar said.

A tweet from the account for the Honduran Secretary of Foreign Affairs said, “The Government of Honduras, through the Embassy in Washington, is in contact with the family and has requested that ORR and HHS carry out an exhaustive investigation of the case to clarify this fact and, if there is any responsibility, apply the full weight of the law.”

Link to tweet

An HHS spokesperson said in a statement that the agency “is deeply saddened by this tragic loss and our heart goes out to the family, with whom we are in touch. As is standard practice for any situation involving the death of an unaccompanied child or a serious health outcome, [ORR]'s Division of Health for Unaccompanied Children (DHUC) is reviewing all clinical details of this case, including all inpatient health-care records. A medical examiner investigation is underway. Due to privacy and safety reasons, ORR cannot share further information on individual cases of children who have been in our care.”

More:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/migrant-teen-honduras-dies-florida-hhs-rcna84079

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Unaccompanied Honduran teen dies in US custody as Title 42 expires

Investigators trying to determine cause for teen’s death, which occurred in a Florida shelter on Wednesday

Lauren Aratani
Fri 12 May 2023 16.18 EDT

An unaccompanied 17-year-old migrant from Honduras died in a shelter in Florida on Wednesday, according to authorities.

Investigators on Friday were still trying to determine a cause for the teen’s death, which came as the US lifted immigration restrictions stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Honduran officials identified the dead child as Ángel Eduardo Maradiaga Espinoza. The statement said the US government informed Honduras of Maradiaga’s death on Thursday.

Espinoza was admitted into the Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services shelter in Safe Harbor, Florida, on 5 May without being accompanied by a parent or guardian. Five days later, he was taken to a nearby hospital after being found unconscious and was declared dead after an hour of CPR attempts.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/12/honduran-teen-dies-us-custody-immigration

[Deuxcents]

1. Cannot imagine what this 17 year old young man experienced in his short life.

Rest in Peace Dear Child 💐

[70sEraVet]

2. A Jewish center in Safe Harbor -- sounds very much like a place where a person would feel safe!

Only 17!