A migrant child being bussed by Texas out of the state has died, emergency officials said Friday.
The child “presented with health concerns” while on the way to Chicago and paramedics were called. They administered care and rushed the child to a hospital, where doctors pronounced the death, Texas’s Department of Emergency Management said.
Officials said they had administered a temperature check and a set of health questions to every migrant on the bus before departure from Brownsville. No passenger showed a fever or other medical issue, the state said.
No specific cause of death was given, nor did Texas release citizenship data.
The announcement came just after the state celebrated its 30,000th migrant shipped out as part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s bussing campaign, which is intended to spread the pain of the border chaos that’s erupted on President Biden’s watch.
Opponents call the bussing cruel and say it preys on vulnerable illegal immigrants. Supporters say it’s been successful not just in sharing the pain of the unprecedented surge of people, but also in getting Democrats to put pressure on Mr. Biden to do something.
Texas said those who are bussed are asked beforehand if they want to go. In the case of the bus with the child, Texas said the migrants signed a waiver making clear they were willingly going to Chicago.
“Each bus is stocked with food and water, which are distributed on board, and makes stops along the trip to refuel and switch drivers. Migrants are allowed to purchase any additional provisions or disembark at any of these stops,” Texas said.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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