© 2026 ABC News

Jakelin died one day after being taken into custody in a remote part of the New Mexico border with more than 160 other people. The El Paso County Medical Examiner's office found in its autopsy that traces of streptococcus bacteria were found in her lungs and other organs as part of a \"rapidly progressive infection\" that caused those organs to fail.

Felipe's death came just weeks after Jakelin's. Traveling separately with his father, Felipe spent several days in government custody, where he was transferred to different government facilities after being apprehended near El Paso, Texas on Dec. 18. On Dec. 24, he was taken to a local medical center, where he was diagnosed with having a \"common cold and given Tylenol,\" according to CBP. It was noted that he had a 103-degree fever and was prescribed amoxicillin before being returned to a border facility. His symptoms worsened that night and he died.

The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator said Felipe died of complications from the influenza B infection which damaged his lungs, \"allowing a generalized infection.\"

Linton, who has not reviewed his autopsy report, said the signs of sepsis in a child can be easily missed by someone not trained to treat children. The dangers of bacterial infections and the flu in young children also underscores why AAP recommended two years ago that migrant children are kept in a child-friendly setting with an attentive caregiver and rapid access to medial treatment.

Linton said a concrete floor in a border facility wouldn't count.

\"Every hour of delayed treatment dramatically increases the chances of death of sepsis,\" she said.

CBP commissioner Kevin McAleenan says offering medical checks for children entering border patrol stations is \"not a capacity we've had in the past.\"

\"We're going to have 22,000 children come through our system, a system built for adults,\" he adds https://t.co/fiVeDInKY3 pic.twitter.com/lvhCyxkEFI

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 30, 2018

After Felipe died, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen called for additional medical resources to be sent to the border and ordered new protocols to screen migrants -- particularly children -- upon their arrival for any symptoms of illness.

Earlier this week, Nielsen asked Congress for additional resources to address the border crisis, including the authority to immediately deport unaccompanied minors back to their home countries.

\"Now we face a system-wide meltdown,\" Nielsen wrote in a letter.

Nielsen is visiting the Texas and Arizona border this week. Trump has threatened to shut down the border if Mexico doesn't do more to stop migrants from reaching the United States.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Texas Democrat and chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said lawmakers plan to hold the administration accountable.

\"CBP is legally responsible for the health and well-being of migrants in their custody and it is clear that these children did not receive the immediate, emergency care required,\" he said in a statement to ABC News.

Charlyn Laserna, MD, is a resident physician in pediatrics and member of the ABC News Medical Unit and contributed to this report.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Politics/death-year-migrant-boy-caused-complications-flu-bacterial/story?id=62151900","legacySlug":"/news/story/death-year-migrant-boy-caused-complications-flu-bacterial-62151900","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"22:11","publishDate":"04-04-2019","updatedTime":"23:03","updatedDate":"04-04-2019","socialImage":{"alt":"This Dec, 12, 2018 photo provided by Catarina Gomez, shows her half-brother Felipe Gomez Alonzo, 8, near her home in Yalambojoch, Guatemala. The 8-year-old boy died in U.S. custody at a New Mexico hospital on Christmas Eve. The cause is under investigation.","credit":"Catarina Gomez/Catarina Gomez via AP, FILE","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Politics/alonzo-boy-died-float-ap-ps-181227_hpMain_3_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"4/4/2019 22:11:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":62151900,"headline":"Autopsies released for children who died at border","mediaAssetTitle":"autopsy results","description":"Trump has falsely claimed one father didn't give his daughter water","duration":"1:40","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/12/181226_nwo_cpbMIX_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132055565","131830882","130993584"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 15, 2026","headline":"American influencer found dead in Tanzania","section":"News","slug":"/video/132055565","id":"132055565","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 8, 2026","headline":"Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","section":"News","slug":"/video/131830882","id":"131830882","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Ceasefire analysis, unanswered questions ahead","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260408_gma_krl1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"March 12, 2026","headline":"Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","section":"News","slug":"/video/130993584","id":"130993584","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Winter whiplash plunges temperatures along the East Coast","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260312_gma_zee_storm2_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Autopsies released for children who died at border","description":"Trump has falsely claimed one father didn't give his daughter water","duration":"1:40","uploadDate":"04-04-2019","publication":"04-04-2019","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/12/181226_nwo_cpbMIX_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2018/12/181226_nwo_cpbMIX_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/death-year-migrant-boy-caused-complications-flu-bacterial-62151900"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131142257","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131046664","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131048076","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131033212","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"130999943","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"130971027","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Autopsies released for children who died at border","pubTime":"18:11","pubDate":"04-04-2019","modTime":"19:03","modDate":"04-04-2019","taxonomyTags":"none","id":62151900,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Autopsies released for children who died at border","mediaAssetTitle":"autopsy results","videoId":62151900,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/death-year-migrant-boy-caused-complications-flu-bacterial-62151900"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/62151900","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/62151900","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};