RI Congressman To Investigate Migrant Child's Death

ALAMOGORDO, NM — A Rhode Island U.S. Representative David Cicilline is joining a delegation of lawmakers in Alamogordo, New Mexico to investigate the death of Felipe Gomez Alonzo, an 8-year-old migrant boy, who was in U.S. custody at the time. Cicilline will be joined by eight other U.S. lawmakers in the investigative tour of the Customs and Border Protection facilities.

Alonzo, detained in El Paso on Dec. 18 with his father, "showed signs of potential illness" on Christmas Eve, CBP said, according to an NBC report. He was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a cold.

Medical staff noticed a fever, so they held him for another hour and a half, the report says. He was prescribed an antibiotic and ibuprofen and released.

Later that night, Alonzo began to vomit, so they took him back to the hospital. He lost consciousness on the way, reports say. Hospital staff were unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead at 11:48 p.m. on Christmas Eve. He had the flu at the time of his death.

Days later, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen made her way to tour facilities and to speak with local authorities and medical staff. Nielsen has called the death "deeply concerning and heartbreaking" and requested medical help from other government agencies.

The delegation will brief the press at 2:30 eastern time on Monday, Jan. 7 at the Border Patrol facility in Alamogordo.

See more on Patch: LI's Pete King: ICE Has 'Excellent Record' Regarding Child Deaths

Also joining Cicilline will be Xochitl Torres Small of New Mexico, Joaquin Castro of Texas, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Jerrold Nadler of New York, Grace Napolitano of California, Nanette Diaz Barragán of California, Salud Carbajal of California and Veronica Escobar of Texas.

Photo credit: This Dec, 12, 2018 photo provided by Catarina Gomez on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, shows her half-brother Felipe Gomez Alonzo, 8, near her home in Yalambojoch, Guatemala. The 8-year-old boy died in U.S. custody at a New Mexico hospital on Christmas Eve after suffering a cough, vomiting and fever, authorities said. The cause is under investigation. (Catarina Gomez via AP)