Jakelin Caal’s Death Was a Warning
The Republican Party’s system is working as intended — and that should terrify you
Jakelin Amei Rosmery Caal Maquin was seven years old when she crossed, with her father, into the United States. They were seeking asylum, which is a legal form of immigration. She died of dehydration after less than 24 hours in a Border Patrol facility. The rush to blame Maquin’s grieving father has unearthed one of the most unsettling aspects of Republican immigration policy under Trump: the willingness to use dead children as a deterrent.
The facts are as follows: When she entered this country, Jakelin was severely dehydrated and had not eaten for several days. The border guards who apprehended the family checked her vital signs, her father signed (or was made to sign) a form stating that she was not sick, and, according to a spokesperson, “they were offered water and food and had access to restrooms.” Still, no one made sure that she drank the water or ate the food. Jakelin was held for eight hours in a cell that, according to top Border Patrol officials, was never intended for children and was not suitable for them. Upon their release, when Jakelin and her father were boarding a bus intended to take them to a patrol station 90 minutes away, her father told the guards that his daughter was sick and vomiting. The guards…
