Died at CBP center in Texas, 8-year-old Anadith Danay Reyes Álvarez’s funeral sung this Saturday in the Bronx
Anadith Danay Reyes Álvarez’s funeral will be held this Saturday, June 17, 2023 in the Bronx, in New York City’s 15th Congressional District, announced the Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) and Texas Civil Rights (TCRP), which are representing the family and investigating the death of the 8-year-old girl on May 17 at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility in Harlingen, Texas. The wake and viewing of Anadith Danay Reyes Álvarez’s remains will be held on Friday evening.
“We are burying our baby and we want her to rest in peace. We want justice for her and we don’t want this to happen again. We will fight for justice,” said the Álvarez family in a joint statement from HBA and TCRP sent to CaribbeanTelevisionNetwork and ZoomHaitiNews.
Anadith Danay Reyes Álvarez died in a CBP detention center due to “rising temperatures.”
“While CBP officials tried to claim that Anadith was ill and had previous health problems, the facts are that when she was apprehended with her family on May 9, 2023, the little girl was in good health, and when she fell ill in the detention center, her mother’s repeated requests for proper medical care were denied. Moments after once again being denied the opportunity to go to the hospital, Anadith’s mother declares that her daughter died in her arms while in the CBP detention center”, states the press release from the TCRP and the HBA, who had requested an independent autopsy on Anadith and are awaiting the results to determine the cause of death.
According to Kassandra Gonzalez, an attorney with the Texas Civil Rights Project’s Beyond Borders program, Anadith was a kind, joyful child who cared deeply about helping others. She should still be with us today,” said the lawyer. She added: “What happened to Anadith is a tragedy rooted in the systemic neglect and dependence on detention of children and families crossing the border. The lack of oversight and access to lawyers during detention has only exacerbated this problem – it’s clear that Customs and Border Protection is unable to fulfill its responsibilities. This weekend, we stand by the family and remain determined to get justice for Anadith.
Co-founder and Executive Director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance Guerline Jozef assured that both organizations stand by Anadith’s family at this time of profound loss, stressing that it is vital that we all continue to fight for justice for the little girl and her family, as well as for all those seeking protection.
“Ana’s death could have been avoided if her cries and those of her mother for medical care had not been rejected during their detention by CBP. When it comes to black people, we always have to fight to prove our humanity, and even then, our humanity is denied. No mother should have to endure this immense pain,” lamented Ms. Jozef.