3-year-old Asylum Seeker Dies on Texas-Approved Migrant Bus Headed to Illinois

The road for an asylum seeker from their country to the United States border can be one filled with much hardship. Upon arriving in the U.S., those hardships take on a new form. Especially if you are traveling through Texas.

CBS News reports that a 3-year-old migrant girl, who had arrived at the Texas border, died on a Governor Greg Abbott-approved bus heading to Illinois. AP News cites that Texas authorities released a statement on August 11 confirming the death of the child.

In the statement released by the Texas Division of Emergency Management, they began, “Every loss of life is a tragedy.” 

“Once the child presented with health concerns, the bus pulled over and security personnel on board called 9-1-1 for emergency attention,” the statement explained.

The CDC will be investigating the tragedy

CNN reports that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will investigate the circumstances that lead to the death of the 3-year-old. 

The publication reached out to CDC spokesperson Nick Spinelli for further comments. He noted that the CDC is working with additional agencies at the federal and state levels “to investigate the tragic and heartbreaking death of a small child onboard a bus in Illinois.”

According to CNN, the preliminary autopsy proved to be inconclusive, with the local coroner’s office doing more testing. None of the migrants on the bus that left from Brownsville, Texas were said to have presented with any immediate health concerns.

People are expressing their collective outrage

Activist and writer Julissa Arce Raya shared an Instagram post with a The New York Times article about the news. She said, “What @governorabbott is doing to migrants is despicable, and now it has caused the death of a child.”

Arce Raya continues, “Imagine trying to stick it to someone at the expense of a 3-yr-old. My heart breaks for this little one, his parents, and every migrant who has to endure this treatment.”

Someone on X shared, “Abbott has blood on his hands.” 

Another X user stated, “3-year-old child dies on Texas *Migrant bus* enroute to Chicago Reminder: Texas ‘death traps’ have killed multiple people. Gov. Abbott commits deadly Human Rights abuses without a deafening national outcry. Disgraceful.”