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July 15, 2020

Congressional Hearing on the Deaths of Children in CBP Custody and Unlawful Spending by CBP

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Wednesday, July 15th, the Committee on Homeland Security, chaired by Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), will hold a virtual hearing on the tragic deaths of two children in Customs and Border Protection care in 2018, the resulting deficient Inspector General investigation, and a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report out today. The GAO report found that CBP has misspent emergency funds meant for migrant medical care, does not properly train its employees on the medical needs of children, and does not properly track or notify Congress on the deaths of those in its care. Members of the Committee will also receive testimony from medical experts who have independently reviewed the two deaths.  This hearing will be streamed live on YouTube (link below).

 Chairman Thompson released the following statement on the hearing:

“I understand the sensitivities of the issues we will discuss today. However, given the 18 months of obstruction we have endured from DHS as we have sought documents and information about the deaths of children in custody, I see no other way to advance our investigation and to identify changes needed in CBP’s policies than to convene today’s hearing. It is clear the Trump Administration will do everything it can to avoid oversight, so we must continue to do everything we can to hold this Administration accountable.  I hope that those that testify today – prominent medical experts and those that have been charged with investigating this matter – will be able to shed more light on what went wrong so we can get some answers to the American people and help ensure this never happens again.”

Event details:

WHAT: House Homeland Security Committee hearing: Children in CBP Custody: Examining Deaths, Medical Care Procedures, and Improper Spending

WHEN: Wednesday, July 15th at 12pm EDT

WITNESSES:

  • Fiona S. Danaher, MD, MPH, Pediatrician, Chelsea Pediatrics, Child Protection Team, Massachusetts General Hospital, Instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School
  • Roger A. Mitchell, Jr., MD, Chief Medical Examiner, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Washington D.C., Clinical Professor of Pathology at the George Washington University, Associate Professor of Surgery at Howard University
  • Joseph V. Cuffari, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • Rebecca Gambler, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)

Updated info and livestream available here. 

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Press Contact

Adam Comis at (202) 225-9978