Del Rio Sector Border Patrol agents rescued a migrant toddler who suffered seizures and convulsions after her mother carried her across the Rio Grande River on Monday. The agents treated the child at the scene and arranged transportation to a hospital.
“Del Rio Sector has seen a dramatic increase of groups with children illegally entering the country,” Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Felix Chavez said in a written statement. “The challenges faced by our agents when dealing with family units and unaccompanied children are often compounded by serious pre-existing conditions that require immediate medical care.”
Eagle Pass Station agents received a call on Monday about a child in distress on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande River near Quemado, Texas. The agents quickly responded to the scene and found a two-year-old child suffering from seizures and convulsions. Agents reported the mother of the child had just carried the girl across the often dangerous river that separates Texas and Mexico.
After providing assistance at the scene, the agents contacted local emergency services first responders who transported the girl to the Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center in Eagle Pass, Texas. Once stabilized, doctors transported the child by ambulance to the San Antonio Children’s Hospital for “more advanced care.”
“The level of cooperation we’ve received from both the Eagle Pass Fire Department and the medical staff at Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center has been nothing short of exemplary, especially during this recent rise in activity in our area,” said Chief Chavez. “I am extremely proud of our agents and the Air and Marine pilots for their quick action and response locating this child and getting her the care she needed.”
The massive numbers of migrant families and unaccompanied children crossing the border into the U.S. are placing a tremendous burden on Border Patrol agents, they say. During a speech along the border near El Paso on Wednesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan again sounded the alarm.
“On Monday, we saw the highest total of apprehensions and encounters in over a decade, with 4,000 migrants either apprehended or encountered at Ports of Entry in a single day. That was Monday,” McAleenan reported. “Yesterday, we broke the record again with 4,117. We are now on pace for over 100 thousand apprehensions and encounters with migrants in March, with 90 percent of those, 90 thousand people, crossing the border illegally between Ports of Entry. March will be the highest month since 2008. The arriving flows are made up primarily of Central American families and unaccompanied children.”
“In March, almost 40,000 children will come into CBP custody after completing a harrowing journey in the hands of violent and callous smugglers through Mexico,” he continued. “We are now taking up to 60 migrants a day to the hospital, including the medical facilities here in the greater El Paso region, which have done an amazing job tory to care for very sick individuals trying to cross our borders.”
“In the last four days, we’ve seen fevers of 105 degrees in infants, a two-year old suffering from seizures in the desert, a 19-year old woman with a congenital heart defect that needs emergency surgery, and a 40-year old man suffering from multi-organ failure but trying to refuse medical care,” the commissioner stated. “Our expanded medical efforts are saving lives, but they come at a high cost to our enforcement mission.”
In response to the overwhelming numbers of migrants being apprehended, Del Rio Sector officials announced on Wednesday, plans to begin releasing migrants directly after apprehension. Sector officials said the migrants will be released on their own recognizance with a notices to appear for later immigration court proceedings.
“Due to capacity issues at our stations and the ongoing humanitarian crisis nationwide, Border Patrol has begun identifying detainees for potential release in Eagle Pass with a notice to appear for their immigration hearings,” Del Rio Sector officials stated.”
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for the Breitbart Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.