Dec. 30 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Saturday went to Twitter to blame Democrats for the deaths of two Guatemalan children this month while being held in the custody of U.S. officials.
In two Twitter posts, Trump attempted to link immigration policies, that he argued are supported by Democrats, with putting the children in harm’s way.
“Any deaths of children or others at the Border are strictly the fault of the Democrats and their pathetic immigration policies that allow people to make the long trek thinking they can enter our country illegally,” Trump wrote. “They can’t. If we had a Wall, they wouldn’t even try.
“The two children in question were very sick before they were given over to Border Patrol. The father of the young girl said it was not their fault, he hadn’t given her water in days. Border Patrol needs the Wall and it will all end. They are working so hard & getting so little credit,” Trump continued in a second tweet.
Trump’s social media comments come after an 8-year-old boy died on Christmas Day and a 7-year-old girl died earlier in December in El Paso after they were detained by U.S. officials.
Nasal and lung swabs taken from Felipe Gomez Alonzo tested positive for influenza B, the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator said in a statement Thursday.
Jakelin Caal died Dec. 8 after having little to eat or drink before arriving at the border, a claim the father denies.
“It appears that Felipe was released from the hospital with a fever of 103, and no EMT was on duty to help him,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein wrote in calling for a hearing.
“Finally, I am troubled to hear about the murders of two unaccompanied children in Tijuana, who were part of the caravan. The CBP is not allowing unaccompanied children into the United States at the San Ysidro port-of-entry … The result is that these children are not able to access the asylum process at all, and they are at a high risk of falling victim to violence and exploitation in Mexico,” she continued.
Trump has continued to push for $5 billion as a down payment on border wall funding that has led to a partial government shutdown going into its second week.
