Donald Trump tried to claim that the father of a girl who died after being detained by border guards hadnt given her any water.
The US President has attempted to steer blame away from his administration and falsely claimed the grieving dad admitted responsibility.
Little Jakelin Caal Maquin died just a day after she was apprehended trying to cross the southern US border.
An autopsy released on Friday showed that Jakelin, 7, died of a bacterial infection which caused her organs to shut down.
Trump told reporters the same day that the youngsters father admitted blame in a disgraceful lie.
Jakelins death in December drew worldwide attention to the plight of migrant families trying to enter the US illegally.
She was one of two children to die in Border Patrol custody in December, raising questions about the agencys ability to care for families.
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A report issued on Friday from the medical examiner in El Paso, Texas, said traces of streptococcus bacteria were found in Jakelins lungs, adrenal gland, liver, and spleen.
They added she experienced a rapidly progressive infection that led to the failure of multiple organs.
Neither the autopsy report, nor accounts at the time by Customs and Border Protection, spoke of dehydration.
Her father Nery Gilberto Caal Cuz has said he always made sure she had enough food and water and they travelled together from Guatemala and through Mexico.
Documents from Border Protection also show that she was checked for medical problems after being detained and the initial screening revealed no evidence of health issues.
On Thursday night, before the release of the report, US President Trump mocked asylum seekers, saying Its a big fat con job.
He declared to his supporters in Michigan that people were being coached by lawyers to say the following phrase “I am very afraid for my life.”
On Friday, he then asserted that Jakelin wasnt given any water by her father during their trek to a remote border area and that her father had acknowledged blame for the death.
Neither statements are supported by any facts.
When questioned about Jakelin and another child death in custody, he replied: Its a horrible situation. But Mexico could stop it.
Jakelin and her father Nery were among a group of 163 migrants who were detained in a remote part of New Mexico.
Migrants are increasingly making their way to more isolated areas but there arRead More – Source
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