Current:Home > Finance3-year-old dies aboard migrant bus headed from Texas to Chicago -DollarDynamic
3-year-old dies aboard migrant bus headed from Texas to Chicago
View
Date:2025-04-24 12:42:35
A 3-year-old child who was riding a migrant bus from Texasbound for Chicago died in Illinois, officials said Friday.
The child's death is the first Texas has announced after Gov. Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star last year started shuttling thousands of migrants to cities including Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles.
The 3-year-old presented "health concerns" on board the bus that departed from Brownsville, Texas, according to the Texas Department of Emergency Management, and the bus pulled over and called 911.
The child received treatment from paramedics and later died at a hospital, according to Texas' emergency management agency. All passengers had their temperature taken and were asked whether they had any medical conditions before boarding, the agency said.
Texas authorities did not say where the child was from or why the child became ill. The Illinois Department of Public Health said the child died Thursday in Marion County, about 130 miles north of Illinois' southern border with Missouri.
The Illinois health department is investigating the death, officials confirmed with USA TODAY.
"IDPH is working with local health officials, state police and federal authorities to the fullest extent possible to get answers in this tragic situation," spokesperson Mike Claffey said.
Chicago Mayor Lightfoot told Abbott to stop busing migrants
Moving people to municipalities already struggling to house and support people experiencing homeless has consistently fueled criticism from cities' mayors.
In April, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot urged Abbott to stop busing migrants to Chicago, calling the move “inhumane” and “dangerous.”
The city shouldered more than 8,000 migrants sent by Abbott since August 2022, many of whom required extensive care which wasn't addressed by Texas before sending them to Chicago, Lightfoot said in April.
“Chicago is a welcoming city and we collaborate with county, state and community partners to rise to this challenge, but your lack of consideration or coordination in an attempt to cause chaos and score political points has resulted in a critical tipping point in our ability to receive individuals and families in a safe, orderly and dignified way,” Lightfoot said.
Texas elected officials speak out against Abbott's bus program
The 3-year-old child who died began showing symptoms of fever and diarrhea on the bus before losing consciousness, Rep, Joaquin Castro told the New York Times.
The Texas Democrat, whose office was briefed on the child's death, criticized Abbott's treatment of migrants in a statement posted to his office's website Friday.
“We are saddened and horrified, but not surprised, by the death of a 3-year-old child on a state-sponsored bus from Texas to Chicago," the statement says. "For months, Operation Lone Star has trafficked asylum-seekers across the country in squalid conditions. Governor Abbott’s barbaric practices are killing people."
What is Operation Lone Star?
Texas officials have bused more than 30,000 migrants to Democratic-led cities across the country since Abbott's Operation Lone Star began last year.
This year, Abbott has tacked on new measures as part of Operation Lone Star, including massive buoys placed in the middle of the Rio Grande, which forms the border between Texas and Mexico.
The Biden administration is suing Texas over the line of buoys, saying the barrier in the water could lead to environmental and humanitarian problems. On Aug. 3, an unidentified body was found dead stuck to the buoys.
In recent months, Texas officials have also confirmed they are separating some migrant parents from their children, a USA TODAY investigation found.
Under Texas' bus program, the state says migrants give written consent and agree on the destinations where they are headed. Texas officials say the buses are stocked with food and water and that migrants are allowed to get off early.
At least four migrant children have died this year in federal custody, including an 8-year-old girl from Panama who died in May after arriving with a heart condition and sickle cell anemia. Last month, an independent report found that Border Patrol does not have protocols for assessing medical needs of children with preexisting conditions.
Contributing: Sarah Elbeshbishi, USA TODAY; Associated Press
veryGood! (86)
Related
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Alec Baldwin stars in video promoting the sale of his $19 million Hamptons home: Watch
- More Americans are getting colon cancer, and at younger ages. Scientists aren't sure why.
- Pharrell Williams reveals Western Louis Vuitton collection at Milan Fashion Week: See the photos
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- 'You Only Call When You're in Trouble' is a witty novel to get you through the winter
- 2024 NFL draft order: Top 24 first-round selections set after wild-card playoffs
- The Silver Jewelry Trend Is Back in 2024: Shop the Pieces You Need
- Small twin
- Senate rejects Bernie Sanders' bid to probe Israel over Gaza human rights concerns
Ranking
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- New bodycam footage from Ohio police raid shows officers using flash-bang, talking to mother of sick infant
- Jamie Lee Curtis opens up about turning 65: 'I'm much less hard on myself'
- US Justice Department to release long-awaited findings on Uvalde mass shooting Thursday
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- South Carolina Republicans weigh transgender health restrictions as Missouri sees similar bills
- Nearly two years after invasion, West still seeking a way to steer frozen Russian assets to Ukraine
- Jenna Dewan is expecting her third child, second with fiancé Steve Kazee
Recommendation
Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
Case against man accused in NYC subway chokehold death moves forward
Spiritual adviser at first nitrogen gas execution asks Alabama for safeguards to protect witnesses
When does MLB spring training start? 2024 schedule, report dates for every team
Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
Deion Sanders' football sons jet to Paris to walk runway as fashion models
Jenna Dewan Is Pregnant With Baby No. 3, Her 2nd With Fiancé Steve Kazee
Hawaii lawmakers open new legislative session with eyes on wildfire prevention and housing