3-Year-Old Child Dies on Bus Chartered by Texas State for Asylum Seekers
In a tragic incident, a 3-year-old child passed away while traveling on a bus chartered by the state of Texas as it transported asylum seekers from Brownsville to Chicago. The program was initiated by Governor Greg Abbott as an effort to send migrants from Texas to Democratic-run cities in other states.
According to Representative Joaquin Castro, a Democratic congressman from San Antonio, the child’s parents were also on board the bus when the child began exhibiting signs of illness, including a fever and diarrhea. Eventually, the child lost consciousness and could not be revived. Representative Castro’s office was briefed on the incident.
The Texas Department of Emergency Management, which administers Governor Abbott’s busing program, confirmed the child’s death in a statement. They stated that all passengers on the bus had been processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and had their temperatures checked prior to boarding. The statement also mentioned that no passengers had shown any medical concerns during the screening process. However, it did not disclose specific details regarding the timing of the death, the nature of the illness, the child’s name or gender, or the family’s country of origin.
The Illinois Department of Public Health confirmed that the death occurred on Thursday. This marks the first reported death associated with Governor Abbott’s program, which has been responsible for transporting approximately 30,000 migrants out of Texas since April 2022. Among them, more than 4,600 have been sent to Chicago. State officials in Texas have emphasized that only migrants who willingly agree to travel are placed on these buses.
Despite requests for comment, a spokesperson for Governor Abbott did not respond. The child began showing symptoms while in Illinois and was taken to a hospital in the town of Salem, located about 250 miles south of Chicago and 1,200 miles north of Brownsville. The parents had intended to reach Indiana, where they have relatives, according to Representative Castro.
Tragically, the child passed away in the hospital, as confirmed by the Texas Department of Emergency Management. The incident is currently under investigation by the Illinois State Police, as stated by a spokeswoman.
In response to the tragedy, Representative Castro, along with Representative Jesús García of Illinois, issued a joint statement calling on the federal government to intervene and halt the busing program. They raised concerns about the conditions under which asylum-seekers are being transported across the country as part of Operation Lone Star, emphasizing that action from the Biden administration is imperative.
The Texas Department of Emergency Management expressed condolences over the loss of life, stating, “Every loss of life is a tragedy.” They also mentioned that once the child’s health deteriorated, the bus promptly pulled over, and the security personnel onboard immediately called 911 for emergency assistance.