Customs officer saves life of Guatemalan infant choking at PDN port of entry
Two El Paso Customs and Border Protection officers saved the life of a Guatemalan infant choking at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry, the Department of Homeland Security announced Monday.
The 11-month-old infant was with a family seeking asylum in the US. Officials said that on December 9, 2018, the girl was being fed by her mother when she started choking.
CBP Officers were immediately notified a baby was choking and they contacted emergency medical services.
The officers noticed the child had a purplish hue to her skin color. One of the officers immediately took the child and performed a series of back blows to dislodge the object.
“After approximately 30 seconds, the child began to cough and then started breathing,” officials said, “When emergency medical personnel arrived, the child was breathing on her own; vital signs were normal and medically cleared by the emergency personnel.”
A CBP spokesperson told ABC-7 that during fiscal year 2017, nearly 304,000 migrants were apprehended in the Southwest border sector, which includes Big Bend, El Centro, El Paso, Laredo, the Rio Grande Valley, San Diego, Tucson and Yuma areas. Nearly 300 migrants died, but more than 3,200 were rescued.
Immigration attorney Carlos Maldonado told ABC-7 the numbers show the Border Patrol needs more resources. “We’re facing with a crisis where we have thousands of immigrants coming into the country,” said Maldonado, “I think the Border Patrol is overwhelmed. They are outnumbered. There are not enough agents.”
Maldonado told ABC-7 he believes the language barrier often affects indigenous migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. Earlier this month, a 7-year-old girl died about eight hours after entering the US illegally with her father. In an intake form, the father reportedly failed to list any medical conditions or issues regarding his daughter. The girl died from symptoms of dehydration, the Department of Homeland Security said.
“There are different types of dialects or languages in each of the South American countries,” said Maldonado, adding that while Border Patrol agents are required to speak Spanish, not all migrants speak Spanish.
