A very tough watch.
Yazmin Juarez, a migrant mother whose 19-month-old daughter died weeks after being released from a detention facility in 2018, has given an emotional testimony at a Congressional hearing on Wednesday.
She spoke directly to congress, and said that her daughter died as a direct result of “neglect and mistreatment”, and blamed the facilities in the center.
While speaking to congress, Juarez said: “My name is Yazmin Juarez, my daughter Maria and I fled Guatemala seeking asylum in the United States. We made this journey because we feared for our lives. The trip was dangerous but I was more afraid of what might happen to us if we stayed.
“I watched my baby girl die slowly and painfully, just a few months before her second birthday.”
The clip has attracted a lot of attention since it was posted online on Wednesday night. Take a look here:
Clip via C-SPAN
A full clip of the speech made to congress can be found here:
Clip via C-SPAN
She goes on to say: “Instead, my daughter is gone. The people who run these facilities are supposed to take care of these children – little angels who have done nothing wrong. Most of the children are brought here by parents seeking a better, safer life for them.
“I’m here today because I don’t want another little angel to suffer like my Mariee. I don’t want other mothers and fathers to lose their children. It can’t be that hard in this great country to make sure that the little children you lock up don’t die from abuse and neglect.”
Juarez is referencing the ICE facilities that her and her daughter were kept in for a period of time, where she originally got sick, and was allegedly not provided with the treatment needed.
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