A Christmas Tragedy

in the United States of America. He died of On Dec. 24, minutes before flu-like symptoms. midnight, an eightyear In fact, this is the second old death of a child in child, Felipe custody within the month Gómez of December. A sevenyear Alonso, old Guatemalan girl from Guatemala named Jakelin Caal, died died in on Dec. 8 from high fever the custody and seizures while in custody. of United States Immigration According to a lawsuit known as the Flores case at a Border that imposes legal limits Control Station at Alamogordo, on keeping children in New Mexico. custody, federal agents

Christmas is a time for are required to take immediate rejoicing at the birth of steps to release Jesus Christ with family children. These facilities and friends, presents where the children and under the Christmas tree families are housed were and lights shining inside built with cells to house and outside of our homes. only single men, not families. It is a special day

for children. However, Lawyers for immigrants this day was sorrowful insist that Congress and traumatic for this never intended for child’s family. parents and children to

This tragic, heartbreaking be held in these austere death of Felipe Border Patrol facilities Gómez Alonso is part of where they often have the systemic crisis of a only mats and foil blankets broken immigration system to sleep on and minimal provisions. In fact, keeping these children in such dire conditions exacerbates illnesses and other problems.

Ironically, on the same day, Christmas Eve, the body of Jakelin Caal arrived in Guatemala for her funeral.

These two deaths have shaken Border Patrol agents. Many federal officials called the deaths of these two children tragedies, noting that until this month no child had died in border custody for more than a decade.

It is now time to pass an intensive, comprehensive and humanitarian immigration plan to overhaul a broken system. It is Christmas time — we must allow the Christ child to lead us to have compassion and love of those most needy, especially the children. The Rev. Gus Puleo is pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Norristown.