President Trump blamed congressional Democrats Saturday for the deaths of migrant children at the border, saying liberals’ “pathetic” immigration policies have encouraged foreign families to attempt the dangerous journey.
“Any deaths of children or others at the Border are strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally,” Mr. Trump tweeted. “They can’t. If we had a Wall, they wouldn’t even try!”
House Democrats ordered Homeland Security officials this week to preserve all “evidence” related to the two deaths this month of Guatemalan children who jumped the U.S.-Mexico border with their parents, signaling an investigation next month.
An 8-year-old boy, Felipe Gomez Alonzo, died on Christmas Eve after six days in Border Patrol custody. He had been treated for a cold and fever at a hospital and was released, but was readmitted hours later — and died soon thereafter.
His mother in Guatemala said the boy’s father brought the child on the trip to the U.S. in the belief that gaining illegal entry would be easier with a child.
Earlier this month, a 7-year-old Guatemalan girl died after being arrested for crossing the border illegally with her father. Border Patrol agents twice managed to revive her after she fell ill, but she later suffered a heart attack and liver and respiratory failure at a hospital.
Mr. Trump said the two children “were very sick before they were given over to Border Patrol.”
“The father of the young girl said it was not their fault, he hadn’t given her water in days,” the president tweeted. “Border Patrol needs the Wall and it will all end. They are working so hard & getting so little credit!”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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