Darlyn Valle
Darlyn Valle was a 10-year-old girl from El Salvador who had a serious heart condition, and her mother lives in Omaha, Nebraska. She was placed in the care of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement after entering the United States in March 2018 in a medically fragile state. After complications from surgery in San Antonio left her comatose, she was moved to nursing facilities in Arizona and then to Omaha to be closer to her family, and she died at Children's Hospital of Omaha on September 29, 2018. HHS spokesman Mark Weber said she died of fever and respiratory distress, and the death was not made public until CBS News reported it in May 2019, which Rep. Joaquin Castro said was a cover-up by the administration.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness (disputed). HHS spokesman Mark Weber says she died of fever and respiratory distress after complications from surgery, while Rep. Joaquin Castro says the administration covered up the death by not informing Congress or the public for eight months.
Reported by: Health and Human Services spokesman Mark Weber (the agency that held her); Rep. Joaquin Castro; CBS News (reporters).
Sources (6)
- Migrant children death: A 10-year-old migrant girl died last year in government care, officials acknowledge [Exclusive]
- A 10-year-old from El Salvador is the 6th migrant child to die in US custody in 8 months
- Rep. Joaquin Castro says Trump administration "covered up" death of migrant girl
- How did six migrant children die on the US border?
- Top Border Protection official is "confident" in agency's data on migrant child deaths
- Portraits of six migrant kids who died in U.S. custody - Los Angeles Times