Washington – Two migrants from El Salvador who had requested asylum in the country died this past weekend while they were in a detention center under the custody of the authorities, official sources reported today.
Jonathan Alberto Meidna León, better known as Johana, was a transgender woman who surrendered to the border patrol on May 11, after irregularly entering the country through the port of entry of Paso del Norte (Texas) and died on Saturday in the Del Sol medical center, in the town of El Paso, said in a statement the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE).
The second victim, a 33-year-old Salvadoran whose identity has not been disclosed, died on Sunday in the vicinity of the town of Roma (Texas) due to an apparent epileptic seizure suffered shortly after being arrested that same day.
According to the acting commissioner of the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP, in English), John P. Sanders, quoted in a statement released by the CNN news network, the victim “died after service personnel of medical attention will try to save his life. “
For her part, Johana Medina León, who had expressed fears for her life in case of being repatriated to El Salvador, had asked the authorities to submit to a test for the HIV virus, which resulted positive.
After complaining of chest pains, Medina León was taken to a hospital, where the relevant tests were performed.
That same day the ICE processed his release on bail.
“This is another unfortunate example of an individual who illegally enters the US with a medical condition without diagnosis or treatment,” Corey A. Price, ICE’s Director of Operations for Execution and Expulsion, said in a statement.
The authorities arrested 98,977 undocumented migrants on the border with Mexico in April, the highest number in the last six months, of which 8,897 were unaccompanied minors, according to data published in early May by CBP.
With these arrests, there have already been 460,294 arrests of migrants on the border since the beginning of this fiscal year 2019, which began last October. (EFEUSA)
