Sheila Jackson Lee Demanded ‘Internal Task Force’ To Investigate Child Deaths – Then She Was Reminded It Already Exists

Texas Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee demanded there be an “internal” DHS task force to investigate child migrant deaths, but then was informed that such an entity already exists.

“I believe there should be an internal task force set up dealing with children, dealing with children’s death,” Jackson Lee said Wednesday during a House Homeland Security hearing. She was speaking to Kevin McAleenan, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “My question to you is: Will you set up an internal in-house task force to deal with … these deaths, to find what solutions should be put in place?”

The acting DHS secretary then informed Jackson Lee that the task force she was describing already exists within the department.

“We already have internal task forces working these issues,” McAleenan responded. In response, Jackson Lee asked for the names of the individuals involved because Americans are “outraged.”

Detained illegal immigrants will face $5K ‘apprehension fee’: Border Patrol chief

DHS fires back after Dem lawmaker claims she was ‘pushed aside and pepper sprayed’ during ICE raid

Texas AG Paxton sues EPIC City developers after probe finds alleged fraud, misleading Muslim-only marketing

Tim Walz slams Trump for calling Minnesota’s Somali community ‘garbage’: ‘Unprecedented’

Trump signs off on nationwide vaccine schedule review as CDC withdraws infant Hep B guidance: ‘Fast track’

Two arrested after dozens of guns, including ‘cop-killer’ model, found in spare tire at southern border: DPS

Pastor Says Barron Trump Is ‘Very Close to Putting His Faith in Christ’ After Lengthy Conversation

88-year-old Army veteran working at grocery store receives over $1.7M in donations after viral video

ICE arrests Azerbaijani national with multiple criminal convictions, including animal cruelty, arson

JetBlue Plane That Abruptly Lost Altitude and Made Emergency Landing Likely Hit by Cosmic Ray: Expert

JD Vance Responds as Media Seeks to Stoke Controversy Over His Wife’s Wedding Ring

Fox News Politics Newsletter: Capitol Hill revolt threatens Trump’s Venezuela playbook

Dem-backed ‘dignity’ bill could strip ICE of detention powers, erase immigration enforcement, critics warn

Disgraceful: Duchess Meghan Accused of Stealing $1,700 Dress from Photoshoot, Using the ‘Archiving’ of Her Royal Clothing as the Excuse

Trump Warns Democrats Have a Plan for ‘Complete and Total Obliteration’ of the Supreme Court

The exchange follows the death of a 16-year-old Guatemalan migrant who passed away while in Border Patrol custody.

The Guatemalan boy was apprehended on May 13 for illegally crossing the U.S. border near Hidalgo, Texas. He was diagnosed with the flu and prescribed medicine Sunday after telling medical staff he didn’t feel well. However, he was found unresponsive by Monday morning while in the Weslaco Station in Texas.

Following news of the boy’s death, Customs and Border Protection immediately announced that “an independent and thorough review of the circumstances” would be conducted. The facility that housed him has since stopped taking in new migrants after a high number of detainees began reporting flu-like symptoms.

The boy’s death — the fifth in Border Patrol custody since December — has sparked renewed outrage from Democratic lawmakers.

McAleenan said that DHS is already working to beef up medical resources to better accommodate the huge influx of families and children arriving at the border, informing Jackson Lee that 55 medical professionals are “on board” in El Paso alone to care for migrants.