The family of an 8-year-old Honduran girl with a heart condition has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the U.S. government after she died in federal custody in 2023. Anadith Danay Reyes Alvarez suffered from chronic heart problems and sickle cell anemia and died after being detained for eight days in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities in Donna and Harlingen, Texas.
An internal CBP investigation found failures in providing proper medical care, including that medical personnel did not review documents the mother provided detailing the girl's condition. The investigation also noted that Anadith had a high fever of 104.9°F (40.5°C), nausea, breathing difficulties, and pain. Despite pleas from her mother, the child was not taken to a hospital until her body went limp in her mother's arms.
The lawsuit follows a denied tort claim made against the government last year. The family is seeking damages but has not specified a monetary amount. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not responded to requests for comment.
The girl's mother, Mabel Alvarez Benedicks, has described her daughter's death as a parent's worst nightmare. Her father, Rossel Reyes Martinez, stated that the lawsuit is filed to ensure no other family endures the same pain.