A seven-year-old girl has died after being taken into custody at the US-Mexico border, officials have confirmed.
The youngster, who crossed the border after travelling with her father from Guatemala, was among a group of 163 people who handed themselves over to patrol agents on 6 December.
According to The Washington Post, the girl died of dehydration and shock more than eight hours after she was arrested near the city of Lordsburg in New Mexico – about 90 miles north of the border.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told the paper that the girl had not had anything to eat or drink in several days and was flown to El Paso hospital in west Texas after she began to have seizures.
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The death will raise further questions about the treatment of those detained at the border, with Democrat politicians and activists having raised concerns regarding the condition of the holding cells.
Cynthia Pompa, advocacy manager for the American Civil Liberties Union Border Rights Centre, said: "This tragedy represents the worst possible outcome when people, including children, are held in inhumane conditions.
"Lack of accountability, and a culture of cruelty within CBP have exacerbated policies that lead to migrant deaths."
It is not known whether the girl who died was provided with food or water upon her arrival at the holding cells.
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An ongoing lawsuit in Tucson, Arizona, claims that the cells are dirty, cold and lacking basic necessities, with the judge overseeing the case having ordered border agents to provide blankets and maps to those in detention.
Most of those being held are from Central American countries like Guatemala, with many choosing to turn themselves in and then apply for asylum.
Agents in Arizona regularly deal with groups of more than 100 people, sometimes including infants and toddlers.
President Donald Trump wants to ban people who cross the border illegally from being able to apply for asylum, but his efforts have so far been thwarted by a federal appeals court.
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The hard-line immigration policy has been heavily criticised by opponents of Mr Trump, who has vowed to put an end to an onslaught of "illegal aliens" getting into the US.
Earlier this week, he threatened to shut down the government if the opposition Democrats refuse to vote in favour of his controversial proposed border wall, which requires $5bn in funding.
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