CBP confirms death of migrant camping between US-Mexico border barriers

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed a migrant who was living in a makeshift camp between the U.S.-Mexico border barriers near San Ysidro died after a medical emergency.

It is the first death linked to the makeshift open-air migrant camps that have been created at the border as hundreds of people from various countries aim to seek asylum in the United States. The agency said it was about 5:45 a.m. on Wednesday when the person with medical problems approached officers, CBP said. She was then taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.

CBP said its Office of Professional Responsibility is reviewing the incident. Although officials did not disclose the age and sex of the victim, volunteers at the border say she is a 29-year-old woman from Guinea.

The migrant was camping about a mile west of the San Ysidro port of entry. For community leaders, it was only a matter of time before such a tragedy happened.

"For us, it is very worrying because we have been warning for months that the way of having people under these subhuman conditions will cause the loss of life, and here unfortunately we are seeing that happen," said Pedro Ríos, Director of the Organization Committee of American Friends of San Diego.

Volunteers at the migrant camp called "Whiskey 8," located behind the sewage plant in San Ysidro, say medical emergencies are frequent.

"What we see most are falls from the wall," said Flor, a volunteer who has spent most of her time assisting migrants in recent weeks. "We have medicine and also things to clean the wounds."

On Thursday night, Telemundo 20 cameras captured a man who was treated and taken by ambulance after an apparent fall from the wall.

"CBP has an obligation to follow national standards, which it is not doing. It requires that they (migrants) be given water, food, medical attention, and in addition to some other points," Rios said. "We want them to respect those standards."