Chinese Woman Dies By Suicide at US Border Patrol Station Over Expired Visa
A 52-year-old Chinese woman died by suicide while in custody at the Yuma Border Patrol station in Arizona, raising concerns about the adequacy of welfare checks by US Customs and Border Protection agents. The woman, who overstayed her B1/B2 visitor visa, was initially detained in California and later transferred to the Yuma station, according to The New York Post. She had been in the country on a B-1/B-2 visa, a temporary visa for people visiting the United States for tourism or business.
In a statement, Representative Pramila Jayapal, a key member of the House subcommittee overseeing immigration, expressed concerns about the initial reports from the agency regarding the woman's death. According to Ms Jayapal, the reports raised questions about whether officers had properly conducted welfare checks on the woman. Although the agency logged welfare checks, investigators were unable to verify whether these checks occurred.
"There is no excuse for why agents cannot verify if some of the necessary welfare checks occurred — or why some of the documented welfare checks were incorrectly reported," Ms. Jayapal said.
Surveillance footage showed the woman creating a noose and tying it around her neck. However, there was a shocking delay in medical response, with no aid provided for two hours after she hung herself. According to a border patrol spokesperson, when the woman was discovered unresponsive in her cell, medical assistance was administered, and emergency services were called to transport her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
"All in-custody deaths are tragic, taken seriously, and are thoroughly investigated by CBP," a border patrol spokesperson told Tucson Sentinel.
The border patrol station's holding cells, including the one where the woman was being held, were under constant video surveillance. However, the spokesperson said that the observation of the woman was limited at the time of the incident because she was in a bathroom stall, which was not fully captured by the cameras.
The incident is now under investigation by the Office of Professional Responsibility, which oversees the agency's conduct. The agency has also notified the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General about the death.
The Yuma sector border patrol had previously reported arresting two Chinese nationals, a 38-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman, on March 26 during a vehicle stop in California. Authorities seized over $220,000 hidden in aluminum foil in their bags, claiming the money was proceeds from unspecified illegal activity.
World