Tragic Death of Migrant Child Sparks Questions About Screening on Texas Bus Trips

An autopsy report has revealed that a 3-year-old Venezuelan girl who tragically died last month during a bus trip from Texas to Chicago had a low-grade fever and other symptoms before boarding, contrary to earlier statements by Texas officials. This revelation has raised concerns about the medical screenings for state-sponsored bus trips designed to transport migrants to more liberal states.

The young girl, Jismary Alejandra Barboza Gonzalez, was just days shy of her 4th birthday when she and her family embarked on a bus journey from Brownsville, Texas, to Chicago. According to Marion County (Illinois) Coroner Troy Cannon, Jismary had mild symptoms and was already feeling unwell as her family boarded the bus. At that point, she had a low-grade fever, but she was still allowed to board.

During the journey to Illinois, Jismary’s condition deteriorated significantly. Cradled by her mother, she experienced vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. Eventually, she lost consciousness, prompting the bus to make an emergency stop. She was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead upon arrival.

The official cause of death, as listed in Cannon’s report, was “bacterial Shigella Flexneri Colitis and Aspiration Pneumonia along with diarrhea and vomiting, which caused electrolyte abnormalities and swelling of the brain.” Additionally, Jismary tested positive for norovirus and rotavirus in her intestine, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in her lungs.

The Texas Department of Emergency Management had previously stated that all bus passengers underwent temperature checks and were asked about any medical conditions before departure, asserting that “no passenger presented with a fever or medical concerns.” However, they did not respond to requests for comment regarding the latest autopsy report.

This incident has brought into question the screening procedures for migrants participating in these state-sponsored bus trips, part of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, which has transported over 32,000 migrants from the Texas-Mexico border to cities like New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago since April 2022. The buses, intended to enforce border security, have become a subject of controversy and are seen by some as a political move by Abbott.

Advocates have expressed concerns about the lack of transparency, oversight, and accountability in these bus rides, questioning whether migrants fully understand where they are being sent. Priscilla Olivarez, a policy attorney and strategist at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, highlighted these concerns.

Jismary’s parents, Jimmy Barboza and Mariangel Gonzalez, fled Venezuela and embarked on a perilous journey through multiple countries before being allowed to seek asylum in the U.S. at Brownsville, Texas. The family boarded the Texas-sponsored bus to Chicago on August 9, and tragically, Jismary’s health deteriorated during the journey, resulting in her untimely death.

A study from 2018, published by the National Institutes of Health, revealed that the bacteria responsible for Jismary’s death causes illness in over 500,000 people in the U.S. annually, leading to approximately 6,000 hospitalizations, but is linked to just 40 deaths each year.